Japan pledges continued support for RI

TOKYO (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid ended his two-day working visit to Japan on Tuesday receiving a strong pledge of economic support from Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi and promises of continued flows of investment from Japanese companies.

Obuchi told Abdurrahman during a 90-minute bilateral meeting at his office in Tokyo that he would send a five-man team, led by former deputy foreign minister Noburo Matsunaga to Jakarta in the near future to asses Indonesia's economic needs.

Speaking to journalists on board the Garuda 747-400 taking him home to Jakarta, the President said Obuchi assured him that Japan would intensively help in ending the prolonged economic turmoil.

"The prime minister disclosed the plan to establish the advisory team which will comprise five Japanese government officials and five Indonesia officials," Abdurrahman said.

The President declined to reply whether Japan promised concrete economic assistance saying technical matters should be handled at ministerial level and not at the level of head of governments.

"A head of state does not handle technical matters," he said with a broad smile.

According to Abdurrahman, who is better known as Gus Dur, the Japanese commitment was the third promise he received after similar promises from United States President Bill Clinton during their meeting at the White House on Friday and Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong on Nov. 6.

Before meeting with the Japanese prime minister, Abdurrahman in Tokyo met Finance Minister Kiichi Miyazawa at the Imperial Hotel where he stayed during his unofficial two-day visit after his arrival from the U.S. on Monday.

Miyazawa, also a former prime minister, convinced Abdurrahman that Japan would remain committed to help Indonesia although he reminded him that Tokyo would likely make major adjustments in its financial loan policy to Indonesia.

Miyazawa said his government would not change its prior stance of not accepting requests for debt reduction or rescheduling from any country, including Indonesia.

According to Miyazawa, his government however would agree to pour fresh loans to Indonesia through the World-Bank led Consultative Group on Indonesia.

He also pointed out the urgency for Indonesia to resolve the corporate debts and its fragile banking system because the solution of the delicate problems would end major obstacles for Japanese companies to invest back to Indonesia.

"The settlement of corporate debt will be very meaningful," said Miyazawa.

Japan is not only the largest investor and donor to Indonesia, but also about 40 percent of Indonesian gross domestic products come from its exports to Japan.

Breakfast

Abdurrahman earlier attended a breakfast-meeting with top executives of Japanese companies. During the meeting the president heard a list of promises from several companies including from Mitsubishi chairman Minoru Makihara, Itochu's Uichiro Niwa, Tomen's Akihiro Tsuji, and Marubeni's Tohru Tsuji.

Makihara told Abdurrahman that Japanese investors praised his strong commitment for a clean, and transparent government. "But as far as for business is concerned, we also like stability and predictability because it makes us easier to extend business in Indonesia," said Makihara.

Major Japanese newspapers like The Asahi Shimbun carried a front-page story of Abdurrahman's visit. His press conference at the National Press Club soon after his talks with Obuchi was packed.

The journalists seemed taken by Abdurrahman's humor, laughing at his jokes.

Abdurrahman not only talked about national issues, but also about one of his favorite Japanese heroes, the warrior Tokugawa.

"We are the same, we came from a feudal family but we modernized our countries," he remarked.

He also used the press briefing to appeal to Indonesians of Chinese descent who fled abroad following the May riots in 1997. He said he would guarantee their safety and business opportunity if they returned to Indonesia.

Despite a suggestion from the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo that Japan insisted his visit be an official one, the President openly said that it was China which would get his honor to be the first country which would be made the first state visit early in December.

"My visit to U.S. and Japan are unofficial visits," he said.

When asked is the most delightful experience during his visit to Japan, the President replied: "I like the food at the prime minister's residence it is very delicious."

He also said the Japanese government and people were so polite that they would not raise sensitive issues like Aceh.

"I also like Japan because they understand other people's music," he said. (prb)