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)