Mega busy with planned visits of foreign guests

Mega busy with planned visits of foreign guests

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The visit of President Megawati Soekarnoputri to no less than 27
countries has been fruitful, as foreign leaders have shown an
interest in returning her visits to their country or the leaders
wish to get first-hand information from the President.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs official
schedule, in January alone she will receive three prime
ministers.

And, if she wishes, she still has a chance to add to the list
of foreign country's visited before the legislative general
election in April and the country's first presidential election
in July. Iran and Venezuela are on the schedule of her next tour
in February.

Zimbabwe's controversial leader Robert Mugabe will be her
first foreign visitor. He will come to Jakarta for a private
visit on Wednesday.

Mugabe, who has led the country since independence from
Britain in 1980, is slated to pay a courtesy call on Megawati
upon arrival, and spend the rest of his time here with private
activities.

Africa is an important destination for Megawati's foreign
diplomacy. Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said on
Tuesday Indonesia was trying to boost its relations with African
countries.

"It is not just because of the potential economic benefit, but
also for potentially mutually beneficial relations," said Hassan.

The President's second guest, and apparently also her most
important visitor, is new Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad
Badawi.

It is a custom of Association of Southeast Asia Nations
(ASEAN) member countries that a new leader pays introductory
visits to the other ASEAN members.

Badawi was appointed prime minister in October, following the
resignation of internationally respected prime minister Mahathir
Mohamad.

Agence France-Presse reported that Badawi would make his first
official visit to Indonesia on Thursday. Badawi is scheduled to
leave Jakarta on the same day after having lunch with the
President.

This will be the second meeting of the two leaders. They met
for the first time in Tokyo last month when they attended the
ASEAN-Japan summit.

"We shall boost our bilateral cooperation," Badawi said after
meeting Megawati in Tokyo.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia will
begin a two-day visit to Jakarta on Jan. 23.

This will be the first visit of the prime minister to the
country, in return for Megawati's visit to Bangladesh in June
last year. Megawati has been the first Indonesian president to
visit Bangladesh.

Both Megawati and Zia are leaders of Muslim predominantly
countries.

In February, Megawati already has Romanian President Ion
Iliescu and Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski on her guest
list.

President Iliescu is slated to begin a three-day visit on Feb.
2. President Kwasniewski is slated to be here, also for three
days, beginning Feb. 20.

Megawati visited the two countries in April last year as part
of her Eastern Europe tour, seeking cooperation in arm sales.

"We are also continuing to try to strengthen our bilateral
ties with our traditional and potential partners," Hassan said
about the government's policy on foreign affairs. The visit of
the leaders is clearly part of that strategy.