Indonesia's help sought for end of Bosnian war
Indonesia's help sought for end of Bosnian war
JAKARTA (JP): Visiting Croatian Prime Minister Nikica Valentic has asked for Indonesia to help seek a solution to end the 34- month civil war in the former Yugoslav republic.
Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono said that during a one-and- a-half-hour meeting with President Soeharto yesterday, Valentic appealed to Indonesia, particularly Soeharto himself, to take steps in finding a peaceful end to the discord there.
Moerdiono said that Valentic has extended an invitation for Soeharto to visit Zagreb.
"President Soeharto's visit would be an important moral support to the people who have declared their independence and separated themselves from the former Yugoslavia," Moerdiono said, quoting the premier.
According to the State Secretary, Soeharto has instructed Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas to explore the possibility of such a visit to Zagreb and Bosnia in the near future.
Valentic stressed the need for Jakarta's aid in the matter by highlighting the importance of Indonesia's role as chair of the 111-nation Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and a member of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC).
Similar visits were also made to Jakarta last year by Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic and Prime Minister Haris Silajdzic.
The former Yugoslav republic has been fraught with ethnic strife between Serb, Croat and Bosnian nationalities.
Despite the intervention of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, only since the recent cease-fire of Jan. 1 has any prospect of peace seemed to have partly taken effect.
Indonesia has presented the idea of an international peace conference involving members of NAM and the OIC in several occasions over the past few years.
Moerdiono said that President Soeharto also told Alatas to pursue further the possibility of a conference and involve fellow members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).
ASEAN groups Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
To signify the strengthening and importance of the two countries, Indonesia and Croatia have agreed to mutually open representative offices in their respective capitals.
The two leaders agreed that a Croatian Embassy will be established within the first semester of 1995 and vice-versa.
"I'd like to add, though, that we already have an embassy for Croatia which is accredited to the Indonesian embassy in Hungary," Moerdiono said.
Apart from political affairs, Soeharto and Valentic agreed to promote economic ties.
Prior to the breakup, approximately 90 percent of Yugoslavian goods exported to Indonesia were made in the Croat area, which has a sound shipping and military industry.
Moerdiono added that Indonesia would not be acquiring military hardware from Croatia.
Talks also touched upon the possibility of using Croatian ports as an entry point for Indonesian goods to Central Europe.
Following the meetings, the Croat premier, who arrived here on Sunday, left for Kuala Lumpur yesterday afternoon.(mds)