Mega, world leaders to discuss terrorism at APEC summit

Mega, world leaders to discuss terrorism at APEC summit

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

President Megawati Soekarnoputri is set to hold bilateral talks
with world leaders on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic
Cooperation (APEC) summit in Mexico.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Marty Natalegawa said on
Tuesday that the meetings would focus on the aftermath of the
Bali terrorist attack and that APEC was an excellent opportunity
for the President to brief the world on the tragedy and steps
that Jakarta had taken to combat terrorism.

He said Megawati was set to meet U.S. President George W.
Bush, Japan's Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Australian Prime
Minister John Howard, New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark and
Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi.

"While meetings with Chinese President Ziang Jemin and
Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien are yet to be confirmed,"
Marty said.

Megawati is also due to meet with heads of state from Chile,
Peru, Mexico and South Korea.

Howard said on Tuesday he would discuss with Megawati the
progress of the investigation during a Pacific rim summit this
weekend.

"It will be an opportunity ... to discuss in more detail and
face to face, the progress of the joint operations being
conducted to try and find who is responsible for this outrage in
Bali," Howard told Australian Parliament as quoted by Associated
Press.

The APEC summit comes just two weeks after the Bali bombing
that killed more than 180 people and injured hundreds from
various nationalities, most of them Australian.

Intelligence officers from Australia, the U.S., Britain and
Japan have been in Bali since two days after the bombing.

Howard said the Asia-Pacific summit would be a chance for
leaders to "reaffirm their very strong opposition to terrorism"
and to "strengthen the fight against terrorism".

The two-day APEC summit begins Oct. 26 and is proceeded by
ministerial meetings that began on Monday at Cabo San Lucas,
Mexico.

Megawati left Jakarta from Halim Perdanakusuma Airport at
midnight, Tuesday.

Vice President Hamzah Haz, several cabinet ministers and
leaders from Megawati's party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), saw her off.

For this trip the President was accompanied by a small
entourage, less than 75-members, including her daughter, Puan
Maharani and family friend Retty Laksamana Sukardi. Husband
Taufik Kiemas has been left at home.