Indonesia backs Indian Ocean forum

Indonesia backs Indian Ocean forum

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia will take an active role in the Indian
Ocean Rim Initiative forum, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali
Alatas said yesterday.

"President Soeharto has conveyed Indonesia's commitment to
make it a success and hopes that the country can contribute its
constructive ideas to the forum," Alatas said at Merdeka Palace.

Alatas was accompanying Louis Steven Abeegadoo, a special
envoy of Mauritius Prime Minister Ram Gulam scheduled to meet
President Soeharto. Abeegadoo was here to seek Indonesia's
support for the forum.

Abeegadoo said the initiative is to sound out economic
cooperation among countries in the Indian Ocean rim.

"The new reality of an international economy calls for a new
form of regionalism, in which countries with different
backgrounds can unify themselves to complement each other,"
Abeegadoo said.

He explained that the forum, initiated by seven countries --
Australia, Guinea, India, Mauritius, Oman, Singapore and South
Africa -- plans to hold a ministerial meeting of 14 countries in
the region.

The other seven countries expected to join the new grouping
are Indonesia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mozambique, Sri Lanka,
Tanzania and Yemen.

"In the near future, working group meetings will start in
Mauritius to prepare for the ministerial meeting, which is
expected to be held by the end of this year," Abeegadoo said.

Alatas recounted that the forum will likely lead to a regional
economic grouping like the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
(APEC) forum, which is determined to liberalize trade and
investment in the region by the year 2020.

"This forum is a combination of APEC and the Pacific Economic
Cooperation Council because it intends to include governments,
the private sector and academicians," Alatas said.

He acknowledged that countries in the Indian Ocean rim vary
widely in terms of their political and economic systems as well
as their economic growth levels. Therefore, he said, the Indian
Ocean forum is right for starting with seven countries and
expanding to 14 countries later.

"It needs to be examined if we need to expand the forum or
not," Alatas said.

He explained that Soeharto and Abeegadoo -- Mauritius'
minister of marine and fishery -- discussed bilateral issues,
particularly the fishery and marine resources sectors.

Yesterday, Abeegadoo also met with Indonesian Minister of
Agriculture Sjarifudin Baharsjah to discuss possible bilateral
cooperation in fishery and marine resources. (rid)