Help from RI's friends: Takeuchi and Wolfowitz

Kornelius Purba, Staff Writer, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

When Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi hosts a meeting with visiting U.S. President George W. Bush in Tokyo on Monday, two former ambassadors to Indonesia are expected to play important roles in the summit of the leaders of two most powerful economies in the world.

Vice Foreign Minister designate Yukio Takeuchi, who left his ambassadorial post in Jakarta on Saturday, will join Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi as a part of Koizumi's entourage. Takeuchi's experience as a diplomat in the world's most populous Muslim nation will help the Japanese side in understanding the global war against terrorism from a predominantly Islamic nation's perspective. Takeuchi only served as the Japanese envoy here for 11 months until he was promoted to his current post.

Meanwhile, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul D. Wolfowitz is also expected to be involved in the preparation for Bush's meeting, not just with Koizumi, but also with leaders of China and South Korea during Bush's tour to Asia this week.

Takeuchi's experience as deputy chief of mission at the Embassy of Japan in Washington in 1995, and director general for the North American Affairs Bureau three years later, should also be an asset in meetings with the U.S. guests.

Meanwhile, despite his often harsh criticism against the Indonesian government's sluggishness, if not reluctance, to curb terrorist networks here, Wolfowitz is mostly remembered as a friend of Indonesia. Then U.S. president Ronald Reagan announced Wolfowitz's appointment in April 1986, as his envoy to Jakarta shortly before his meeting with then president Soeharto in Bali. Wolfowitz, who at the time served as assistant secretary of state for East Asia and Pacific affairs, was considered by many to be a nice 'oleh oleh' (present) for Indonesia.

He was arguably the most popular ambassador in Jakarta at that time. Before leaving Jakarta in May 1989, Wolfowitz however tossed out a 'political bomb' during his farewell speech as he urged strong man Soeharto to improve political openness. Ten years later he was one of the first American guests to be received by democratically-elected president Abdurrahman Wahid.

Wolfowitz later engineered a face-saving formula for Abdurrahman -- when the latter fell from power in July 2001 -- by arranging a medical visit to the U.S. At the time Abdurrahman was in a tense standoff, refusing to leave Merdeka Palace and hand over power to Megawati Soekarnoputri. Wolfowitz also invited Megawati's husband, Taufik Kiemas, to the Pentagon and told Taufik not to become a political liability for his wife.

Therefore it is understandable, when many Indonesians may expect that their powerful friends Takeuchi and Wolfowitz can help the whole nation, not just the government or the political leaders, in getting rid of the prolonged economic bitterness and political upheavals. Of course their priority is to defend their country's interests above everything, but their emotional attachment to Indonesia however will likely make them enthusiastic to offer assistance for the country.

Some may argue that Takeuchi and Wolfowitz are not so powerful in their respective posts, but even in Japan, many groups, including the media, expect much from Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage. Armitage is regarded as the most well-informed about Japan on Bush's team due to his intensive relations with the country.

In the context of Japan, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Secretary General Taku Yamasaki is also known for his intensive relations with Indonesian leaders. Japanese companies often ask for his help when they encounter trouble in Indonesia. Despite its current crisis, Japan's role in Indonesia's economic recovery is vital, as shown by its 4 trillion yen (US$40 billion) bilateral loan to Indonesia, representing 60 percent of Indonesia's outstanding bilateral debts.

It is disappointing that Megawati's advisors such as Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda did little to express their pleasure with Takeuchi's promotion. Only Minister of Agriculture Bungaran Saragih and his Japanese wife, Mihoko, attended the ambassador's farewell reception last Wednesday. Takeuchi eventually could meet with the President on Friday night after several delays.

Megawati should learn a simple lesson from Soeharto at least on how to deal with Japanese diplomats here. In a rare move, Soeharto awarded the coveted "Jasa Utama" medal for outgoing Japanese ambassador Sumio Edamura for his extraordinary contributions to Indonesia when Edamura concluded his term in January 1990. This medal was psychologically very important for bilateral diplomacy.

Or look at former presidents B.J. Habibie and Abdurrahman. Defying basic protocol regulations, Habibie often hosted luncheons or dinners for International Monetary Fund (IMF) Asia Pacific director Hubert Neiss when the latter came here to negotiate a new letter of intent (LoI) with Indonesia. Neiss was clearly pleased with the treatment although it did not necessarily make his position softer toward the government.

Megawati can also learn from Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji who used his good relations with her husband Taufik in accelerating economic ties between the two countries. On the prime minister's invitation, Taufik led a five-minister team to visit Beijing in December.

According to press reports, Indonesia offered to buy up to 20 Chinese oil tankers in exchange for its bid of US$10 billion toward a liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply contract for China. Indonesian company Tangguh LNG, a 50-50 project owned by Pertamina (Indonesian State Oil & Gas Mining Company) and BP in Papua, had submitted its bid. Taufik's role has reportedly been vital to the negotiations.

The government and private sectors often have to spend large amounts of money to lobby the leaders of foreign countries or corporations. There are many lobby consulting firms which provide services for their clients, so there is a cost to lobby U.S. politicians like Congress members and senators.

U.S. companies operating here, like Freeport, also often use respected American figures, including Henry Kissinger and former president George Bush Sr., in lobbying Indonesian governments for the benefit of the company they represent.

Using friends of Indonesia can often be effective in lobbying for the country and does not cost much. But going the extra mile to maintain good relations with them is very important. There are many businessmen or government officials in Japan who have strong emotional ties with Jakarta, many of them were previously posted in Jakarta, and are eager to help Indonesia. That was clear during the visits of Megawati and Abdurrahman to Tokyo. The U.S. situation is also similar.

The problem is how to maximize this potential opportunity wisely.