Jakarta seeks to export planes to Yemen
Jakarta seeks to export planes to Yemen
By Budiman Moerdijat
SANA'A, Yemen (JP): Top cabinet ministers said that the export of defense equipment to Yemen was high on the agenda of President Abdurrahman Wahid's visit to the country on Thursday and Friday.
Speaking to reporters on board the presidential flight from Jakarta to Yemen on Thursday, foreign minister Alwi Shihab said Yemen had expressed interest in buying defense products from Indonesia.
Defense minister Mahfud M.D., who was also present, said that Jakarta would try to export CN-235 planes and light weaponry to the Yemeni military.
"We will be lobbying my counterpart in Yemen to buy light and small weaponry from Indonesia," Mahfud said.
He also said that Jakarta would try to establish joint military education and training with the Yemeni military.
"All three branches of our armed forces have staff and command schools and they are sometimes visited by foreign military officers, so what we are going to do is to invite Yemen's military officers to study in Indonesia," Mahfud said.
Abdurrahman, who is on a two-week trip to the Middle East and North African countries, arrived at Sana'a international airport on Thursday afternoon after a nine-hour flight from Jakarta.
The Indonesian President, who was given a red carpet welcome and gun salute, was scheduled to hold talks with Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh before attending a state dinner late on Thursday.
Alwi and Mahfud were also scheduled to meet with their counterparts on Thursday evening.
Alwi had earlier also said that Abdurrahman's visit to Yemen was aimed at strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries and that Jakarta would like to assist Yemen in developing the country's oil industry.
"We have years of experience in the oil industry so maybe we could send some of our skilled workers to help develop the oil industry here," Alwi said.
Abdurrahman is scheduled to hold a joint press conference with the Yemeni President before leaving for the United Arab Emirates on Friday morning.
Abdurrahman will cap his trip with a Haj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.
The President's trip comes as he has faces mounting pressure back home to step down after being censured on Feb. 1 by the House of Representatives, which found that he was implicated in two corruption scandals.
A drive by the House to impeach Abdurrahman by bringing forward a special session of the People's Consultative Assembly, appears to have fizzled out, but almost daily street demonstrations have continued.
Critics have often accused the President of neglecting a myriad of domestic problems by making too many overseas trips.
On Tuesday the President said that the political crisis in Jakarta had passed and that he no longer saw any threat to his presidency.
He also said on the eve of his departure that he was not worried about leaving the country despite the threat to his presidency at home.
He also told his top military brass and senior aides to maintain order during his absence.
Also included in the 85-strong presidential entourage is education minister Yahya Muhaimin.(byg)