Hassan to visit China, North Korea, South Korea

Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda is slated to visit the People's Republic of China, North Korea and South Korea between April 25 and May 4 to discuss bilateral and regional issues relating to the Korean peninsula.

Foreign ministry spokesman Marty A. Natalegawa announced that Hassan would discuss the nuclear crisis on the Korean peninsula with the three countries.

"We want to encourage North Korea to continue what it has been doing, namely to engage itself in the six-party talks, something which we have supported," Marty said on Friday.

The six parties are North Korea, South Korea, China, Japan, the United States and Russia.

Indonesia has devoted a lot of attention to the North Korea issue. Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri has sent a special envoy, Nana Sutresna, to the country to find ways of supporting a peaceful settlement to the possible flashpoint issue.

Marty said that during the China leg of the trip, Hassan would attend the 60th ministerial level meeting of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN- ESCAP) in Shanghai.

The minister is scheduled to meet his Chinese counterpart Li Zhaoxing to discuss efforts to strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries.

Hassan will pay a courtesy call on Chinese Vice President Zeng Qinghong.

In North Korea, Hassan will also discuss bilateral issues with his North Korean counterpart Paek Nam Sun.

Hassan is also scheduled to pay a courtesy call to North Korean President Kim Young Nam.

Indonesia has friendly ties with both Koreas. South Korea is a major investor while relations with North Korea date back to a visit by Megawati's father, president Sukarno, to Pyongyang in 1964.

Marty said that in the working visit to South Korea on May 5 and May 6, Hassan would meet South Korean acting president Goh Kun.

The minister will also hold bilateral talks with South Korea's Foreign and Trade Minister Ban Ki Moo.

In each countries Hassan is also slated to meet with members of the expatriate Indonesian communities.

Hassan attended an emergency meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in Malaysia on Thursday, a day after his return from Ireland where he participated in the Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM).