End of Cold War links politics with economics

End of Cold War links politics with economics

JAKARTA (JP): The end of the Cold War in 1991 has changed the basic thinking, calculations, international relationships and diplomacy, a political scientist stated.

Dr. Jowono Sudarsono, former dean of the School of Social and Political Sciences of the University of Indonesia, said in Bandung over the weekend that the Cold War had been dominated by the rivalry between Moscow and Washington -- with their respective allies. The heated political climate placed everyone under the threat of war.

Speaking at a one-day seminar sponsored by alumni of the Air Force Command and Staff College, Juwono said that since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 the world's attention has been mainly focused on economic problems.

"Now we see economic rivalries between industrialized nations, between advanced and developing countries and between the developing countries themselves," he said as quoted by Antara.

The political science professor said that studying international problems today involves examination of political, economic and strategic fields.

Juwono added that politics and strategy have always played an important role. He said that all economic and business activities are inseparable from national stability, politics and security.

According to Juwono, political development and strategic issues have become fundamental elements for multi-national companies when deciding on investment policies.

Population and security have also become important elements in making production, marketing and financing decisions, he said.

Juwono said that Indonesia needs to continuously study ways to connect economic development planning with international relations.

"This connection is important now that economic development planning and national resilience is inseparable from the outside world," Juwono said. (tis)