Fraser pays courtesy call on Mega

Fraser pays courtesy call on Mega

Former Australian prime minister Malcolm Fraser paid a
courtesy call on President Megawati Soekarnoputri on
Wednesday, in which they discussed various issues, including the
Iraqi crisis.

During the 30-minute meeting, Fraser briefed Megawati on a
two-day conference attended by former heads of state that called
for a peaceful solution to the Iraqi crisis.

"He was just telling the President that the meeting opposed
unilateral acts from the U.S. in dealing with the crisis, which
ignored the role of United Nations," Indonesian Minister for
Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said after accompanying Megawati
during the meeting.

The United States and Britain are building up their military
strength in the Middle East to attack Iraq for allegedly
producing and storing weapons of mass destruction.

Fraser told Megawati that he was against the decision of
Australian Prime Minister John Howard to send troops to assist
the United States in disarming Iraqi President Saddam Husein.

Coordinating Minister for Social Welfare Jusuf Kalla also
accompanied Megawati during the meeting.

Fraser was among four former heads of state who attended the
meeting of the InterAction Council here from March 11 through
March 12. Former president B.J. Habibie, former Dutch prime
minister Andreas van Agt and former Ecuadorian president Jamil
Mahuad also attended.

The meeting recommended on Wednesday that the Iraqi crisis be
solved peacefully and through the United Nations. --JP