Foreign Ministry clarifies

Foreign Ministry clarifies

I wish to refer to Mr. Meidyatama Suryodiningrat's article
published by The Jakarta Post on Jan. 11, 2000, touching on
Indonesia's foreign policy under the leadership of President
Abdurrahman Wahid which may create some misunderstanding.

The government of President Abdurrahman Wahid has inherited a
very complex and multifaceted conundrum following 32 years of
management that has brought the country into an economic and
political crisis as well as devastated Indonesia's image abroad.

The official visits conducted by President Wahid to various
countries in such a relatively expeditious phase are aimed at
revitalizing Indonesia's image before the international community
as well as to lure foreign investors' interests in the country
with the hope for generating Indonesia's economic recovery. In
turn, the international community's support and commitment in the
country's economic recovery and territorial integrity prove the
success of those visits.

It is rather unfortunate indeed, that the article published in
one of Jakarta's leading newspapers had linked Indonesia's
foreign policy matters by personally assaulting Foreign Minister
Alwi Shihab. For this reason, allow me to clarify the matter in
detail as to provide a more balanced and objective report to the
readers.

Foreign Minister Shihab's sudden departure from final media
briefing during the ASEAN post-Ministerial Conference in Bangkok
before it was officially closed by his Thai counterpart was due
to his prior appointment with the Foreign Minister of Canada who
for a certain reason had to return immediately to Canada.
Furthermore, the final media briefing was held behind the actual
schedule and it was not feasible for Minister Shihab to cancel
his meeting with the Canadian Foreign Minister.

The meeting with the Canadian Foreign Minister was important
as Minister Shihab was expected to explain the Atambua incident,
in which three United Nations' humanitarian workers in Atambua,
East Nusa Tenggara, were killed and it may have grave
international ramifications to Indonesia.

Those are the facts that needed to be known and understood by
the writer that would hopefully enlighten the readers as well as
to avoid further negative imprints. It would be too naive indeed,
should the performance of Indonesia's foreign policy be
influenced by such an unsubstantiated matter.

ADIYATWIDI A. ASMADY

Secretary to the Minister

Ministry of Foreign Affairs