Laotian president courts Indonesian investors

JAKARTA (JP): Laotian President Nouhak Phoumsavanh yesterday invited Indonesian entrepreneurs to invest in his country, particularly in the fields of oil exploration and gold mining, which have not been optimally developed.

During a meeting with President Soeharto at the Merdeka Palace yesterday, Nouhak discussed economic issues and possible bilateral cooperation, Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono told reporters after the talks.

Moerdiono acknowledged that President Nouhak's offer to Indonesian investors should be considered, especially since Laos was in the middle of building a number of power plants.

During the talks, the Laotian president also expressed his country's intention to purchase urea fertilizer.

"Unfortunately this is hardly possible because Indonesia itself is developing its agriculture. However, President Soeharto asserted that if the prospects of urea tablets continue to brighten, exports may be possible in the future," Moerdiono said, as quoted by the Antara news agency.

Laos also requested Indonesia's technical and managerial supervision in various fields of their economic development. The country's economic growth reaches six percent a year.

Nouhak also suggested more apprenticeship programs for Laotian farmers in Indonesia to further boost bilateral relations. He proposed that a third country fund such programs.

In a separate meeting between Laotian Foreign Minister Somsavath Lengsauad and Indonesia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas, Laos expressed its intention to become a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Moerdiono said.

Laos already has an observer status in ASEAN, which currently groups Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. The ASEAN six have said that the group would one day admit the other four Southeast Asian countries. Vietnam is slated to join next year. The other two are Cambodia and Myanmar.

Minister Somsavath, who explained about his country's extensive efforts to form ties with neighboring countries, received a warm respond from Alatas, who acknowledged that such efforts would contribute to creating peace in the region, Moerdiono said. (pwn)