Habibie not to attend NAM summit

Habibie not to attend NAM summit

JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie has decided not to attend
the 12th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) starting next
Wednesday in Durban, South Africa, to avoid a power vacuum, a
minister announced yesterday.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas said he was ordered by
the President to represent him during the summit, and that he
would convey Habibie's apology to South African President Nelson
Mandela for his absence.

"It is technically very difficult for him (Habibie) to leave
the country because there is no vice president," Alatas said
after meeting with Habibie at Merdeka Palace.

Sources said the President was initially very eager to attend
the two-day summit because of Indonesia's outstanding role in the
113-member strong movement.

It would also have been the President's first international
debut since he replaced Soeharto in May.

"An overseas trip would cause a power vacuum here, and he also
realizes domestic problems are much more urgent," a palace
official said yesterday.

Habibie was vice president from March until Soeharto resigned
on May 21. Since then, the vice presidential post has remained
vacant.

Indonesia hosted the 10th NAM summit in Jakarta in September
1992 and chaired the movement until 1995 when it was replaced by
Colombia.

At that time, Soeharto proudly invited other developing
countries to send their officials here to study Indonesia's
success in developing its economy.

Currently, Indonesia's foreign debt stands at no less than
US$130 billion. It is seeking to freeze its principal debt
repayments due to a severe economic crisis.

Despite Habibie's absence, the government plans to submit
several major proposals at the summit, including an idea to set
up a special NAM mission to participate in the Middle East peace
process, Alatas noted.

The proposal calls for a ministerial level team, chaired by
South Africa, to approach key countries, including the U.S.,
Russia, Lebanon and Syria, to help solve problems between Israel
and its Arab neighbors, especially the Palestinian Authority.

"NAM must be more active in the Middle East peace process,
which is now stalled by Israeli arrogance," Alatas remarked.

Indonesia will also suggest the summit convene a special
conference on international cooperation in monetary and financial
affairs since Asia's economic crisis could spread to other
continents without a joint effort to resolve it.

"We hope that our proposal will be approved by the
international community," Alatas said. (prb)