Beatrix's visit promotes greater understanding

Beatrix's visit promotes greater understanding

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas said
yesterday that the visit of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands to
Indonesia has enhanced a greater mutual understanding between the
two countries.

But as Queen Beatrix ends her visit today, Alatas stressed
that Indonesia would not accept any new offer of Dutch financial
aid, despite the stronger relations.

"There's no reason for going back to the old pattern of ties,"
Alatas told reporters after attending a ceremony for the swearing
in of 17 ambassadors by President Soeharto yesterday.

Queen Beatrix is scheduled to complete her visit to Indonesia
today, after touring the nation from Jakarta, across Java, parts
of Sulawesi, Kalimantan and Sumatra. The queen, who is
accompanied by her husband Prince Claus and her son Crown Prince
William Alexander during her visit, will depart today from Tabing
airport in Padang, West Sumatra, to Singapore, on board a special
plane.

Asked about his impression of the visit, Alatas told reporters
that politically, it has led to a deeper understanding between
the two countries, while economically, it has led to a stronger
cooperation in trade and investment.

"Overall, I think the visit has given satisfactory results,"
he said. "This has also been a historic visit, because it
coincides with the 50th year since Indonesia proclaimed its
independence. The fact that the visit comes at a time like this
has already given it a special meaning."

Queen Beatrix, in her speech during a dinner hosted by
President Soeharto on Aug. 21, acknowledged the suffering of the
Indonesian people inflicted on them by Dutch military actions to
try and reimpose colonial rule in the country after 1945. The
queen, however, stopped short of apologizing for the Dutch
actions.

Some politicians in Indonesia, and also the Netherlands, have
urged the Dutch ruler use the visit to make a formal apology, and
to recognize Indonesia's independence as starting from Aug. 17,
1945, when it was proclaimed by the nation's leaders, instead of
December 1949, when the Netherlands formally agreed to a transfer
of sovereignty.

However, the Indonesian government has stressed that it would
not ask Queen Beatrix either to apologize or recognize
Indonesia's date of independence. Instead, the government has
been hammering more on the need for the two countries to continue
building their relations, which is based more on an equal
partnership.

In 1992, Indonesia rejected any new offer of Dutch financial
assistance, accusing The Hague of continued interference in its
domestic affairs. Since then, the two countries have rebuilt
their relations, based on a new footing.

Alatas said yesterday that the decision by Indonesia in 1992
turned out to have led to more harmonious cooperative relations
between the two countries. "This is because one aspect, that had
created friction in the past, has now been removed from the
overall relations," he said.

"I could even say that with the decision, the process of
decolonization of the Indonesian economy (from the Netherlands)
was completed.

"As it turned out, our relations have not taken a turn for the
worse. On the contrary, they have become better in the economic
field, with increasing trade and investment ties."

Alatas said the two countries are also looking beyond
bilateral matters in their relations, given that each has
important positions in its respective regions; the Netherlands in
Europe and Indonesia in Southeast Asia and East Asia.

The Netherlands, he said, could become the gateway for
Indonesian exports to Europe, while Indonesia could be used in a
similar way for Netherlands exports to East Asia. (emb)