Boutros-Ghali looks forward to RI visit
Boutros-Ghali looks forward to RI visit
JAKARTA (JP): United Nations Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali hopes to personally thank Indonesia for the support given to the world body when he visits here this month.
Boutros-Ghali told Antara news agency in New York that he will use his upcoming tour to this part of the world -- Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand and Fiji -- to thank those countries for their participation in various UN peacekeeping missions.
Indonesia currently contributes some 272 troops and officers to the UN peacekeeping operations. Australia has 374, New Zealand 286 and Fiji 667, according to the UN office.
Boutros-Gali is scheduled to visit Indonesia from April 21 to April 25. He will attend the commemoration of 40th anniversary of the historic Asia-Africa conference in Bandung in West Java on April 24.
Officials at foreign ministry in Jakarta told The Jakarta Post that Boutros is also scheduled to hold a meeting with President Soeharto on Saturday.
After attending the ceremonies in Bandung the Secretary General will then fly to Australia for the next leg of his trip.
Indonesia will be the first stop in his itinerary. On his return trip to New York, he will visit Moscow and Paris.
On Friday, he gave a press conference in his office to a group of journalists representing the four countries included in his itinerary.
Boutros-Ghali praised the active role Indonesia has played in the UN's efforts to promote world peace through its peacekeeping operations. He was quoted as saying that he would use the visit to Indonesia chiefly to personally thank Indonesia's leader for the country's participation in the operations.
Indonesia's participation in these missions, be they in Europe, Africa and Asia, is an indication of its strong solidarity with the world community, he said.
The contribution of Indonesia and the other participants is even more vital bearing in mind that some UN members are becoming reluctant to take part in such missions, he said.
Boutros-Ghali said his tour of the Asia-Pacific region is also part of the UN's 50th anniversary commemoration. The visit is meant to show the countries that the world body pays attention to all its members.
He said he made a similar tour of Central America two weeks ago to prove to them that the United Nations is not solely concerned with the former Yugoslavia or South Africa.
Boutros-Ghali said he is also looking forward to his visit to Bandung.
The Asia-Africa conference in Bandung 40 years ago brought together for the first time the many countries on the two continents which were newly free of the shackles of colonialism. It also inspired others to strive for their own independence.
The conference laid down what has now become popularly known as the Ten Bandung Principles to guide international relations. Among the most relevant principles are peaceful coexistence, non- intervention, mutual respect for territorial integrity, and protection for minority groups.
The conference also inspired the establishment of the Non- Aligned Movement (NAM) seven years later. Indonesia's President Soeharto is the current chairman of the 111-nation movement.
Responding to an Antara question, Boutros-Ghali said the "Bandung Spirit" remains vital to this day in helping to resolve various conflicts between UN members.
The decolonization process that the conference inspired also helped boost the UN's membership to reach 185 now, he said.
The UN chief gave his personal endorsement to the continuation of the Non-Aligned Movement, for although the Cold War has now ended, the world still faces a North-South division. (emb/mds)