Kuwaiti funds sought for IPTN program
Kuwaiti funds sought for IPTN program
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto yesterday urged Kuwait to examine the possibility of financing the development of airplanes built by IPTN, the state-owned aircraft manufacturer.
Soeharto made his appeal during a one and a half hour meeting with Kuwaiti Prime Minister Shaikh Saad Al Abdullah Al Salem Al Sabah yesterday.
"President Soeharto expressed his view that apart from investing directly in Indonesia, they should also explore the possibility of helping finance a number of Indonesian products, possibly IPTN planes," Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono told reporters after the meeting.
Al Sabah is scheduled to visit the IPTN plant in Bandung, West Java, this morning.
The Kuwaiti crown prince arrived from Bangladesh yesterday for the last leg of his four-nation tour of Asia which included Thailand and China.
His five-day visit comes in the wake of a United Nations resolution allowing Iraq to partially sell its oil. The resolution was quickly rejected by Baghdad who sought a complete lifting of the sanctions.
When asked by journalists whether these latest developments were brought up during the meeting, Moerdiono replied: "Of course the issue was discussed by the two leaders."
He declined to give further details, however, saying that "at the present time I do not feel that I am in a position to elaborate further on the issue."
Despite vocally supporting the easing of sanctions against Iraq, Indonesia voted in favor of the new resolution proposed by the UN Security Council in New York on Friday. The resolution limits Iraq to selling $2 billion worth of oil over the next six- months.
In the past few months, both Iraq and Kuwait have been lobbying for Indonesia's support at the Security Council by sending high level delegates to Jakarta.
During the meeting, Soeharto yesterday explained the difficulties Indonesia was encountering in its development.
"More specifically, the President elaborated on the obstacles we are facing in the field of infrastructure, specifically the development of transportation, electricity and telecommunications," Moerdiono said.
Moerdiono said Al Sabah responded by confirming his country's willingness to invest here.
Soeharto said that by investing in Indonesia, Kuwait would also have a doorway to the Asia Pacific market of two billion people.
Included in Al Sabah's entourage are Minister of Oil Abdul Mohssen Med'eij Al Med'eij and Minister of Trade and Industry Hilal Mishari Al Mutairi.
Accompanied by Jakarta Military Commander Maj. Gen. Wiranto, the Kuwaiti prime minister yesterday afternoon laid a wreath at the Kalibata heroes cemetery.
During the evening Soeharto hosted a dinner reception for Al Sabah at the State Palace.
In his speech, Soeharto touched on the efforts of the Non- Aligned Movement (NAM) to shape a new world order and urged both nations, as NAM members, to help each other reach that goal.
Indonesia currently chairs the 111-nation NAM and will host a ministerial meeting of the movement in Bandung next week.
On Thursday, Al Sabah will fly to Bali where he will spend the day before heading back to Kuwait. (mds)