Megawati off to attend ASEAN summit
Megawati off to attend ASEAN summit
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
President Megawati Soekarnoputri left for Brunei Darussalam on
Sunday to attend the 7th Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) summit.
The two-day summit will kick-off on Monday and is expected to
adopt a broad declaration condemning terrorism, following the
Sept. 11 attacks against the United States.
Megawati was accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan
Wirayuda, Minister of Industry and Trade Rini Suwandi and
State/Cabinet secretary Bambang Kesowo for the three-day trip.
The President was also scheduled to hold bilateral talks with
Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra upon her arrival at Bandar
Seri Begawan on Sunday evening.
Earlier this week, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan said
that terrorism would be one of the major issues discussed at the
summit and that the ten-member countries of ASEAN would
underscore the intention of each of the countries to fight
terrorism.
The meeting is also scheduled to discuss regional action and
cooperation in combating terrorism, a topic proposed by Megawati
during her first visit to ASEAN member countries last August.
It was reported earlier that ASEAN's members face a conflict
of opinion over the current U.S-led air strike against
Afghanistan.
Indonesia and Malaysia have criticized the air-strikes, which
they perceive as killing innocent people, while the Philippines
has supported the move.
During the summit, ASEAN leaders will also hold a meeting with
the "ASEAN plus three" leaders including Chinese Prime Minister
Zhu RongJi, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and South
Korean President Kim Dae-Jung.
Vice President Hamzah Haz and several Cabinet ministers saw
the President off at Halim Perdana Kusuma Airport on Sunday
morning.
The President's husband Taufik Kiemas, who had just returned
from a health checkup in Perth, Australia on Saturday was also
seen at the airport.
The President is slated to return on Tuesday.