Harjanto made German consul

SURABAYA (JP): The government of Germany has appointed Indonesian Harjanto Tjokrosetio as its honorary consul here, in a bid to improve economic and cultural relations between the European power and East Java.

Harjanto was sworn in at a reception Thursday hosted by German Ambassador Heinrich Seemann, who expressed hope that the appointment will result in increased German investment in East Java.

German investment in Indonesia is concentrated in East Java. It totals US$1.3 billion, most of which is linked to the power plant development project in Paiton, Situbondo.

"Our mission is not only to serve and assist German citizens residing here, but to be the bridge for many opportunities of economic cooperation," said Harjanto, who studied in Germany between 1969 and 1976.

"Our German partners are not seeking possibilities with giant companies. They are more interested in small and medium companies," he said.

Indonesia is the only country in which Germany has honorary consuls. They are posted in Medan, Bali and now Surabaya. Some 180,000 Germans visit the tourist island of Bali every year.

Seemann said the appointment of another honorary consul was not because one of the country's friends, B.J. Habibie, might well become Indonesia's next vice president.

"This has nothing to do with Mr. Habibie," he said. "I visited East Java two years ago... and realized that everybody had been sleeping.

"This is an interesting province with great prospects, and nobody seemed to realize this," he said. "The process (to appoint an honorary consul) was a long one, and started before anybody even talked about the vice presidency for Habibie."

Meanwhile, Antara reported that Seemann intentionally traveled to Surabaya from Jakarta by car instead of by airplane, to demonstrate that travel in Indonesia is safe despite widespread social unrest.

He left Jakarta on Wednesday and arrived Thursday. (26)