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)