Iraqi VP begins visit in Indonesia

Iraqi VP begins visit in Indonesia

JAKARTA (JP): Iraqi Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadhan
launched straight into talks with his Indonesian counterpart Try
Sutrisno only a few hours after his arrival yesterday.

There was no official briefing of the topics discussed at the
meeting but Indonesian and Iraqi officials said earlier that the
issue of the United Nations economic sanctions against Baghdad
was expected to be raised during Ramadhan's meetings with
Indonesian officials.

Ramadhan is slated to meet with President Soeharto on
Wednesday before his departure.

The Iraqi News Agency (INA) and Reuters reported on Monday
that Ramadhan was carrying a message from President Saddam
Hussein to Soeharto.

"It (the message) affirms Iraq's serious desire to develop
bilateral ties in various fields...and its appreciation of
Indonesia's fair stand towards Iraq in international circles,"
INA reported. "He (Ramadhan) will discuss with Indonesian
officials ways of bolstering bilateral ties and horizons of their
development in fields of industry, trade and oil," INA added.

Indonesia, which is currently serving a two-year term on the
UN Security Council, has been campaigning to have the UN embargo
against Iraq eased on humanitarian grounds.

Ramadhan's entourage includes deputy foreign minister
Abduljabbar Al-Doory and deputy minister for industry and Mineral
Resources Qahtan Al-Anbaki.

Today, the Iraqi vice president will lay a wreath at the
Kalibata Heroes' Cemetery, visit Taman Mini and make a brief
visit to Bandung to see IPTN's aircraft plant and the historic
Asia-Africa Museum. (emb)