Japan pledges continued support for RI

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)