D-8 must be pragmatic, realitic, says Alatas

JAKARTA (JP): At a ministerial meeting in Turkey yesterday, Indonesia expressed its support for the formation of the Developing Eight (D-8) group of eight Moslem developing states but urged that it set pragmatic and realistic goals.

Speaking to fellow ministers at the one-day conference in Istanbul, Indonesian foreign minister Ali Alatas warned that unattainable haughty goals would only weaken the organization.

He stressed that the D-8 must ensure there was no repetition of projects with other developing organizations such as the Non- Aligned Movement, the Group of 77 or the Organization of Islamic Conference.

Ministers from Bangladesh, Egypt, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Turkey and Indonesia were in Istanbul to kick off the first meeting of the D-8.

The group aims to formulate a framework for development cooperation, particularly among Islamic countries.

While expressing its support for the new organization, Indonesia advised a plotted approach, saying that there was no need yet to establish a secretariat.

"While of considerable symbolic value, (a secretariat) might just extract much or our energy, attention and scarce resources which we should be concentrated on the core activities of the group itself," Alatas said.

Indonesia was also wary of proposals for a D-8 summit in the next few months.

"It may be premature for us to decide to hold a D-8 summit in the first quarter of this year without a clear picture of the preparations we can accomplish in less than three months," Alatas said.

Turkish Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan was quoted yesterday by AFP as saying that Indonesia's reluctance was caused by its general election in May.

Erbakan proposed last year the creation of the D-8 group, patterned on the G-7 group of seven industrialized nations.

A final communique said the summit meeting of heads of state or governments of the participating nations would be held here "within the first six months" of this year. (mds)