Informality colors Bogor APEC meet

BOGOR, West Java (JP): Yesterday's meeting of APEC leaders in Bogor may have won the prize as the most formal of informal meetings of all time.

All the leaders, which includes some of the world's most powerful like the United States, Japan and China, came in batik shirts, provided by the host nation. That's informal.

Normal state protocol accorded to visiting heads of government or heads of state was absent when they arrived at the Bogor Presidential Palace. That's also informal.

The leaders were also addressed not as presidents or prime ministers, but as leaders of their respective economies. That's also informal.

And the leaders were not accompanied by their ministers. Only one aide and an interpreter. That could be considered informal.

And finally, the lunch (Indonesian rice-menu) and the guided tour by host Soeharto around the Bogor palace's garden and to the artificial pond, adds another touch of informality.

But there was nothing informal about the arrangements and preparations for the meeting.

The host committee, headed by Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono, had gone all out to ensure that the meeting, despite its informality, proceeded smoothly.

Given that there are 17 leaders plus host Soeharto of Indonesia gathering for the meeting, the preparations that went into it were more elaborate compared to preparing for an official state visit by one leader.

The arrival of the 17 leaders at the footsteps of the white colonial building in the palace exemplified how meticulous the organizers were when it came to details, something which Moerdiono is well known for. He was in Bogor yesterday, presumably not in his capacity as minister but as the head of the national host committee.

Equally meticulous was the departure of the leaders from eight different hotels in Jakarta, and how the 17 motorcades proceeded through the Jagorawi toll road on their way to Bogor.

The arrival was kept to schedule when Australia's Paul Keating, the first on the schedule, came at 9 a.m..

APEC chairman Soeharto was on hand to greet him. Then the other leaders all arrived at two-minute intervals.

Their arrival was arranged in alphabetical, country order. After Keating came Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, and then Canada's Jean Chretien, Chile's Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle, China's Jiang Zemin, Hong Kong's Hamish MacLeod, Japan's Tomiichi Murayama, South Korean's Kim Young-sam, Malaysia's Mahathir Mohamad, Mexico's Carlos Salinas de Gortari, New Zealand's Jim Bolger, Papua New Guinea's Julius Chan, Philippine's Fidel Ramos, Singapore's Goh Chok Tong, Chinese Taipei's Vincent Siew and Thailand's Chuan Leekpai.

The last to arrive was United States' Bill Clinton. It was just as well because he took seven minutes more than the others, because of the longer motorcade, and apparently for security reasons.

The motorcade of the other leaders consisted of five cars, Clinton's was 13, including an ambulance. Also Clinton did not ride in the specially provided Mercedes limousines like the other leaders. He came in a limousine flown in from Washington. His motorcade also included cars carrying U.S. security agents.

The extra few minutes Clinton took had already been anticipated by the host committee.

The other leaders were waiting in the Teratai room, getting better acquainted, some comparing notes about the batik silk shirts they were wearing, others admiring the architecture and the interior of the palace.

When Clinton did arrive, Soeharto walked up the flight of stairs and into the room with him.

Most of the leaders also carried a briefcase or portfolio, signaling that they meant business at the informal meeting.

After the two photo sessions, one behind the palace and another in the Garuda Room before the meeting began, the leaders got down to business. Behind closed doors.

What and how the discussion proceeded may not be known for sometime because there were no officials present, only interpreters.

The only thing known for sure is the outcome of the meeting and the U-shape seating arrangements in the Garuda Room.

Soeharto was flanked by Clinton and Murayama, while Mahathir, who turned down Clinton's invitation to attend the first APEC leaders meeting in Seattle last year, was seated next to the American president.

The arrangement was not by design.

Soeharto was placed between the former APEC chairman (Clinton) and his would be predecessor (Murayama). The three sat in the center while the others were arranged in alphabetical order, starting with Australia from the left. That Mahathir was next to Clinton was purely by chance, although it has a deep political significance.

And that Soeharto was flanked by the two most powerful leaders was also by chance although people could read into this many meanings. (emb/mds)