'Cooperation needed to alleviate poverty'

'Cooperation needed to alleviate poverty'

By Kornelius Purba

ISTANBUL (JP): President Soeharto called yesterday for closer
cooperation among developing countries to enable them to
accelerate development and eradicate poverty.

Soeharto, in his address to the maiden summit of eight
developing countries (D-8) here, said developing countries could
not expect their industrialized counterparts to voluntarily share
their technology.

"The world situation in the post-Cold War era is marked by
instability, confrontation and the persistent inequity and
imbalance in economic relations between developed and developing
countries, instead of a just and prosperous international order
as developing countries had expected.

"Although there are international fora which earnestly discuss
the plight of developing countries, their agenda turns out to be
dominated by extraneous issues like social clauses and
intellectual property rights," Soeharto said.

Soeharto was the first speaker after Turkish President
Suleyman Demirel declared the summit of the eight predominantly-
Moslem countries open.

The D-8 groups Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh,
Iran, Egypt, Nigeria and Turkey.

The one-day gathering was proposed by Turkish Prime Minister
Necmettin Erbakan during his meeting with Soeharto in Jakarta
last year. Erbakan's initial proposal suggested the group include
only Moslem or predominantly Moslem countries.

Foreign ministers of the group confirmed earlier in the day
that the D-8 was open to other developing countries.

Soeharto said in his speech that the member countries would be
dragged into the implacable arena of global competition whether
they liked and were ready for it or not.

He said developing countries could improve their technology
themselves. Hence, they should join forces to facilitate common
progress.

"Among ourselves, we are already capable of manufacturing
automobiles, sea-going vessels, machinery and even aircraft with
cutting-edge technology," Soeharto said.

He suggested the group leaders draw strength from their unique
competence that would enable them not only to hold their own in
the global economy, but stave off the scourge of poverty that
blights many of their people.

Illusions

Soeharto reminded the group members not to have illusions that
they could achieve their goals overnight.

"After gathering at this summit and establishing the D-8 as
the mechanism of our development cooperation, we must gather our
political will and capabilities for coordinated and concerted
actions to make the mechanism work." Soeharto said.

He suggested the group avoid projects that are being
implemented by other international organizations.

"We should draw up realistic and pragmatic plans so that our
efforts are not obstructed by over-ambitious goal setting, lack
of commitment and insufficient funds," he said.

He said all group members should make poverty alleviation the
top priority because poverty had led to the accelerating
deterioration of the global environment.

"The poor's demands for immediate survival have overrun the
resources on which the survival of future generations depends,"
Soeharto said.

The President and his entourage left here two hours ahead of
their original schedule. They are expected to arrive home this
morning.

The summit was also attended by the presidents of Iran and
Turkey, the prime ministers of Bangladesh, Egypt, Malaysia and
Pakistan, and Nigeria's industry minister.

The D-8 leaders signed a declaration yesterday read out by
Erbakan outlining the six D-8 principles; to strive toward
greater peace, dialog, cooperation, justice, equality and
democracy.

The declaration called for moves to overcome trade barriers
and establish joint business councils between member countries.

The D-8 would be kept open to other developing countries, the
declaration said, stressing that membership would not affect
existing international obligations of countries who joined.

"Whether they are Moslem or not, all developing countries must
come together in close cooperation, adopt joint approaches and
develop effective projects," Erbakan said.