Indonesia wants foreign investment success stories
Indonesia wants foreign investment success stories
Fiona Ortiz, Reuters, Santiago
Indonesia's new government wooed Japanese and U.S. foreign
investment during an Asia-Pacific leaders' summit this week,
hoping companies' positive experiences will help overcome the
country's reputation for corruption and violence.
In their first ever meeting at the Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation (APEC) summit, U.S. President George W. Bush told
Indonesia's new leader, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, he would
encourage U.S. companies to invest in Indonesia, the Indonesian
foreign minister said on Sunday.
"Efforts to create a more conducive environment for investing
is a priority," Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda told Reuters in
an interview on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Santiago.
Independent groups consistently rate Indonesia one of the
world's most corrupt nations and investors have also been scared
off by a wave of bombings over the past few years, including a
2002 nightclub attack on the island of Bali that killed 202
people.
Indonesian ministers met with the American Chamber of Commerce
business group during the APEC summit and stressed they want to
create confidence by persuading companies that have left
Indonesia to return, Hassan said.
Also during APEC, Indonesia and Japan agreed to work jointly
to increase Japan's private investment in Indonesia.
Hassan, who was also foreign minister under Indonesia's last
government, said Susilo wants to rapidly resolve investment
disputes left over from the previous government.
He predicted a quick resolution to cases such as Mexican
cement giant Cemex's longstanding dispute with Jakarta, and an
environmental case involving the world's largest gold miner,
Denver-based Newmont Mining Corp.
"We are trying to sort this out in order to give confidence,
not only for those who have been dealing with us but if we are
able to settle these we will give confidence to new investments,"
he said.
Susilo, who took office last month after Indonesia held free
elections and moved fully to democracy, will also combat terror
by promoting dialogue between moderates of different faiths, the
minister said.
While APEC leaders in Santiago pledged anti-terror measures
including statements on nuclear non-proliferation and controls on
shoulder-launched missiles, Hassan said hearts and minds must
also be won over.
"There's a growing realization in APEC on the need to work on
this. In addition to weapons and the technical side of
cooperation we underlined the importance of promoting dialogue
among religions," he said.
Indonesia and Australia will hold an interfaith summit in
Indonesia in January to promote dialogue between moderate leaders
from many faiths including Islam, Christianity, Judaism,
Buddhism, Hinduism and others, he said.
He said ending terror depended on empowering democratic groups
and moderate religious groups.
"We have proven that not only we are a country of moderate
Islam but the world's third-largest democracy. We have proven
that Islam and democracy can go hand in hand."