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)