Leaders arrive for ASEM
Leaders arrive for ASEM
By Meidyatama Suryodiningrat and Riyadi
BANGKOK (JP): President Soeharto was among the visiting 25 government leaders who arrived yesterday to attend the opening of the inaugural summit of Asian and European leaders.
Traveling on a private plane, Soeharto touched down in Bangkok accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas and Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono.
Amid the tight security net placed to receive the presidents and prime ministers, he was taken to the Shangri-la Hotel, one of the half dozen hotels in Bangkok designated to accommodate the leaders. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, Singaporean Goh Chok Tong and Chinese Premier Li Peng are staying in the same hotel.
The 25 countries taking part in the meeting are Austria, Belgium, Britain, Brunei, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Jean-Claude Juncker, Malaysia, Netherlands, Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand and Vietnam.
All are represented either by their head of state or government except Denmark, Greece, Spain and Sweden who sent ministerial level officials. The President of the European Commission Jacques Santer will also participate.
The summit is aimed at forging closer cooperation and dialog to promote economic growth between the two regions.
After a brief rest, Soeharto's had a bilateral meeting with Austria's Chancellor Franz Vranitzky.
Moerdiono told journalists that Soeharto explained the need for European states to understand the different levels of development in Asian states and called on Austria to invest in the region.
Later in the evening, Soeharto and the other leaders attended an informal dinner hosted by Thai Prime Minister Banharn Silpa- Archa.
The dinner gave the leaders a chance to confer with each other in a relaxed atmosphere on the possible topics to be discussed at this morning's meeting.
Foreign Minister Ali Alatas earlier told reporters that Indonesia was not afraid to argue the issue of East Timor if the issue was brought up by Portugal.
When asked, he said no bilateral talks were planned between Soeharto and Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres. "Of course we shall meet them during the meetings," he added.
Before returning to Jakarta tomorrow after the end of the summit, Soeharto is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Premier Li Peng and French President Jacques Chirac.
Economic issues
Speaking on one of the economic issues likely to be discussed during the summit, Moerdiono said Indonesia opposes the European Union's (EU) proposal to establish a multilateral treaty on foreign direct investment.
The EU proposal is for a treaty to be created by the World Trade Organization (WTO) member countries to guarantee the rights of foreign investors to enter and establish themselves in all WTO countries, and to be given "national treatment".
Non-governmental organizations (NGO) at a pre-summit meeting have already spoken out against the EU proposal, pointing out that it would abolish the power and legitimate right of states and peoples to regulate the entry, conditions, behavior and operation of foreign companies and foreigners in their countries.
"This time our position on multilateral agreement on foreign direct investment is the same with that of the NGOs," Moerdiono told journalists.
Such an agreement has two negative consequences, Moerdiono said. First, foreign investments and investors would be very well protected, while the people and the country where the investments are located would not. Second, foreign capital could enter all sectors unimpeded, which would threaten the existence of small and medium enterprises.
"Therefore, Indonesia would hesitate very much before endorsing such an agreement on foreign direct investment," Moerdiono said.
An informed source said here that not all Asian countries participating in the summit are opposed to the European plan. Japan and Singapore, for example, are ready to accept it because many of their large companies invest a lot of money abroad.
Coordinating Minister of Production and Distribution Hartarto said that although Asian countries differ in their position on the European plan, everyone agreed that there is a need to bolster investment flows between the two continents.
Regard -- Page 5
Draft -- Page 11