Forging ties with Jakarta

Forging ties with Jakarta

At last, relations between India and Indonesia are back on
track and clearly on the upswing. The visiting President, Mr.
Abdurrahman Wahid, has clearly spelt out his canvas for building
pan-Asian ties and creating a new equation between New Delhi and
Jakarta.

Despite simmering problems at home and his own frail health,
Mr. Wahid went ahead with his ambitious tour of Europe and India
to drive home the message that he was still in command and as
much focused on international relations as on the pressing
domestic crises.

India seized the occasion to roll out the red carpet for the
Indonesian leader and bilateral talks at the highest level have
reportedly struck the right chord.

The President, Mr. K. R. Narayanan, the Prime Minister, Mr. A.
B. Vajpayee, and the Leader of the Opposition, Ms. Sonia Gandhi,
have all had useful meetings with Mr. Wahid, who must have been
reassured that his plans for cementing a partnership with India
are being warmly reciprocated.

Mr. Wahid has been forthright and practical in his views, both
on domestic and international issues. He must know the complexity
of balancing ties with China and India on the one hand, and
wanting to maintain the excellent rapport Jakarta enjoys with the
U.S.

Last month, the visiting Singapore Prime Minister, Mr. Goh
Chok Tong, shared India's desire for creating an Asian Free Trade
Area over the long term. And now, the Indonesian President has
outlined his vision for an Asian league, with India, China and
Indonesia at the core.

It must be borne in mind that Mr. Wahid is head of the world's
largest Muslim country and the fourth most populated nation. But
time and again, he comes out loud and clear as a moderate,
liberal Islamic scholar-turned-political leader. He wants Islam
not as a state institution but as a belief system or morality.

It is high time India realized the potential for building a
strategic partnership with Indonesia, spanning the whole spectrum
of economic, political and military cooperation.

New Delhi can begin by helping Jakarta develop an information
technology base and harness science and technology for
agriculture and fisheries.

-- The Hindu, New Delhi