Megawati helping bridge the gap between Pyongyang and Seoul

Susanto Pudjomartono, The Jakarta Post, Seoul

President Megawati Soekarnoputri received praise from South Korean President Kim Dae-jung upon her arrival on Saturday as she brought with her an encouraging message from Pyongyang on the possible resumption of talks in the peninsula.

Megawati, fresh from a two-day stay in Pyongyang, said North Korean President Kim Jong-il responded "positively" to Seoul's call for the resumption of dialog between the two countries, which were separated in 1948.

"I conveyed President Kim Dae-jung's message, which received a positive response from Chairman Kim Jong-il," Megawati told a joint press conference after bilateral talks with Kim Dae-jung.

"He (Kim Jong-il) conveyed his warm regards to Kim Dae-jung and said he was eager to immediately realize agreements that were already reached in the previous talks."

The Indonesian president used the opportunity of her Pyongyang visit to urge North Korea to resume full dialog with South Korea and the United States after a stalemate since last year, while renewing the cordial relationship between Indonesia and the communist country. She met with the North Korean leader on Friday.

President Kim Dae-jung, in the same press conference on Saturday, lauded Megawati for her effort and vowed to continue the peace dialog, which had been affected by the terrorist attacks on the United States last year.

"I expect South-North Korea relations to make a breakthrough at an early date, thanks to President Megawati's devoted cooperation and support," he said.

Megawati reiterated her government's full support for the dialog between the two Koreas for the sake of peace and welfare of people across the world.

North Korea had already agreed to accept a visit from a South Korean presidential envoy next week. The envoy's mission is to revive the stalled reconciliation between the two states.

U.S.-North Korea relations warmed considerably in the final months of former U.S. president Bill Clinton's administration. Clinton's secretary of state Madeleine Albright visited North Korea in October, 2000, and held talks with Kim Jong-il.

But U.S.-North Korea relations suffered after President George W. Bush took office. Bush labeled North Korea in January as a part of "an axis of evil"; nations that have ambitions to develop weapons of mass destruction. Bush later offered to start unconditional talks with North Korea, but Pyongyang rejected the offer.

On bilateral issues, South Korean reaffirmed its support for Indonesia in handling its economic difficulties.

After the bilateral talks, Megawati and Kim Dae-jung witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding on legal cooperation in criminal cases related to mining and energy industries.

The memorandum was signed by Indonesian foreign minister Hassan Wirayuda and his counterpart Choi Sung-hong at the South Korean Presidential Palace, the Blue House.

Seoul is the second largest importer of Indonesian gas after Japan and also Indonesia's fourth largest trading partner. Trade between Indonesia and South Korea reaches an average of US$8 billion per year.

In the business luncheon with the South Korean business community later in the day, Megawati called on the businesspeople to invest in Indonesia now that security had been restored in the country.

Megawati told the floor that her government had set a target of settling all political and security issues in the year 2002.

Data in 2000 revealed that South Korean investment in Indonesia totaled $10 billion.

The visit to South Korea was the third stop in Megawati's 12- day trip, which will end in India next week.