Filipino foreign minister begins three-day visit

Filipino foreign minister begins three-day visit

JAKARTA (JP): The Philippines' new Foreign Secretary Domingo
Siazon is scheduled to begin a three-day introductory visit to
Indonesia today.

Siazon will meet with Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ali Alatas at his office on Jl. Pejambon this afternoon and will
pay a courtesy call on President Soeharto tomorrow.

It is customary in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) for newly-appointed foreign ministers to make
introductory visits to their fellow member states.

ASEAN is a socio-political grouping, comprised of Brunei,
Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

Slazon's visit comes on the heels of a working visit by
Singaporean Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong.

Early last month Siazon took over the post of foreign
secretary from Roberto Romulo, who resigned under pressure amid
domestic uproar over the hanging of Filipina maid Flor
Contemplation in Singapore on March 17.

The execution caused a diplomatic rift between Singapore and
Manila, with Philippines President Fidel Ramos at one point
threatening to break off relations.

Before assuming his current position, Siazon was the
Philippine's ambassador to Japan.

It is expected that during this afternoon's meeting, Siazon
and Alatas will discuss the continuation of the Jakarta-brokered
peace talks between Manila and the southern Philippines' Moro
National Liberation Front separatist group.

The next round of talks has tentatively been scheduled to
occur within the next two months. Indonesia has so far hosted two
rounds of peace talks between Manila and the separatist group.
(mds)