Indonesian officials discuss Soeharto in Switzerland
Indonesian officials discuss Soeharto in Switzerland
BERN (Agencies): Switzerland has renewed promises of help to Indonesia over allegations that former President Soeharto stashed ill-gotten assets abroad, the Swiss foreign ministry said on Thursday.
At a meeting on Wednesday with his visiting Indonesian counterpart Alwi Shihab, Swiss Foreign Minister Joseph Deiss "promised help as soon as there is a request for legal assistance" from Jakarta, ministry spokesman Livio Zanolari said as quoted by AP.
"We haven't received anything yet, but my counterpart assured me he will make sure the process moves forward," the Swiss minister said.
During a visit here last year, Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid said Jakarta would make a formal request for legal assistance to the Swiss government but gave no details on when it would be made and what offenses it would detail.
Those questions remain to be answered.
U.S. magazine Time claimed in May 1999 that Soeharto and his six children had amassed a US$15 billion fortune, of which $9 billion were allegedly transferred from Switzerland to Austria before the former president stepped down in May 1988.
Swiss officials have said they have no evidence whether Soeharto had assets in Switzerland.
Alwi was in Switzerland to accompany Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputri.
On Thursday the Vice President in Geneva met with the new United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Ruud Lubbers.
Megawati is on a 12-day foreign tour which began with her visit for a minor pilgrimage to Mecca. After Switzerland she was due to visit Bangladesh.
In Kuala Lumpur on Thursday the Malaysian foreign ministry said she is also due to make a stop there before returning to Indonesia.
AFP reported that the she is scheduled to arrive in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday. It will be her first official trip to Malaysia and is on the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
Megawati is also due to meet with Malaysian King Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah and hold talks with Abdullah on bilateral and international issues.
"The visit is to further strengthen ties with Malaysian leaders and to enhance relations between the two countries," the ministry said in a statement released on the official Bernama news agency.