Differences no hitch to RI-U.S. ties: Soeharto
Differences no hitch to RI-U.S. ties: Soeharto
JAKARTA (JP): Differences in political systems should not prevent Indonesia and the United States from enjoying cordial ties, President Soeharto said yesterday.
"The two countries have proven that differences in social and government systems have not obstructed us from forging, fostering and advancing cooperation at bilateral, regional and international levels in the interest of the prosperity and welfare of people in the two countries and the world," Soeharto said when receiving the new U.S. Ambassador, J. Stapleton Roy.
The President accepted the ambassador's credentials at Merdeka Palace yesterday. On a separate occasion, the President received credential letters from Ambassador Mustafa Kamal Kazi of Pakistan.
In his speech before Ambassador Roy, Soeharto said that as sovereign states, the views of the two countries may differ at times, "but we also have basic similarities which we could develop in building our relations."
The first principle of the state ideology Pancasila, the "Belief in One God", is similar to the belief "In God We Trust" that Americans hold, he said.
The Indonesian motto of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (unity in diversity) has a similar meaning to the American motto E Pluribus Unum, he added.
Ambassador Roy replaced Robert L. Barry, who left Jakarta in July. A dispute in the U.S. Senate delayed the confirmation of Roy's appointment until January.
A career diplomat with 40 years of foreign service experience, Roy's most recent posting was as ambassador in Beijing. He also served as ambassador to Singapore between 1984 and 1986 and has represented the U.S. in Bangkok, Taipei, Hong Kong and Moscow.
In his introductory speech, the ambassador underlined that relations between the two countries could only expand given the strong commitment in Washington to this part of the world.
He pointed out that ties between the two countries have been growing rapidly, with two-way trade exceeding US$10 billion a year. The United States is the largest source of foreign investment in Indonesia, if finance and the oil/gas sectors are included, he said.
Roy said the thousands of Indonesian students studying in the United States will bring back to Indonesia not only important new skills to speed Indonesia's development, but also a wealth of personal ties to the American people.
"Successful conclusion of our discussion on further sales of F-16 aircraft will enhance both Indonesian security and the already excellent relations between our two armed forces," he added.
President Soeharto, in a speech welcoming Ambassador Mustafa Kamal Kazi, said he looked forward to the visit of Pakistan Prime Minister Mohtrama Benazir Bhutto to Indonesia next week to further forge close relations between the two countries.
Kazi, also a career diplomat, was Pakistan ambassador to Iraq between 1992 and 1995. He has also served at Pakistan's missions in Stockholm, Addis Ababa, Paris and Tokyo.
Prime Minister Bhutto is scheduled to make a state visit here between March 7 and March 9 as part of a tour that would also include Brunei.
An earlier report from Islamabad said Bhutto would emphasize the business opportunities now available in Pakistan after it liberalized its economy and provides incentives for investment.
She is also expected to discuss Pakistan's dispute with India over the Himalayan region of Kashmir and the threat Islamabad felt from a recent Indian test-firing of the advanced medium- range missile Prithvi-2, a Pakistan official said. (emb)