Habibie to meet Estrada today

JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie and Philippine President Joseph Estrada will hold their first informal summit on Tuesday afternoon on Batam island in Riau province, a palace official said on Monday

Estrada will cross to Batam from Singapore by ferry after delivering a keynote address at the East Asia Economic Summit sponsored by the World Economic Forum, said the palace official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The palace did not release an official statement on the meeting.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas indicated last week the two leaders would use the opportunity to exchange views on various issues including bilateral, regional and international affairs.

Estrada may also brief Habibie on his meeting with Singapore's Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong on Monday, an official said last week.

Habibie has complained over Singapore's cool reception when he replaced Soeharto in May and its reluctance to fully disburse its US$5 billion loan pledge to Indonesia.

Both Estrada, who came to power in June, and Habibie have declared they are friends of Malaysian fired deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Estrada has threatened to boycott the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Malaysia next month as a demonstration of his solidarity with Anwar.

Habibie canceled his planned visit to Kuala Lumpur this month, saying he was too busy dealing with domestic affairs. (prb)