NAM supports Bogor Declaration

NAM supports Bogor Declaration

JAKARTA (JP): Members of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) have
welcomed, and given their support to, the recently proclaimed
Bogor Declaration of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
meeting, a top diplomat said yesterday.

The executive assistant of the chairman of NAM, Nana Sutresna,
said that NAM's 111 member countries have responded favorably to
the results of the Nov. 15 APEC economic leaders meeting in
Bogor.

"From the reaction I received they have given a very positive
response to the Bogor Declaration," Nana told a seminar on
Indonesia, after the APEC and NAM conferences, organized by the
Dr. Soetomo Press Institute.

He explained that in recent meetings with fellow NAM members
in New York, the results of the APEC meeting were warmly
welcomed.

During their meeting in Bogor, APEC leaders agreed to set a
deadline for comprehensive trade and investment liberalization by
the year 2010 for industrialized countries and 2020 for
developing ones.

APEC groups Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong
Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New
Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan,
Thailand and the United States.

As well as presiding over this year's APEC meting, Indonesia
is also chairman of NAM and has one-year to go before it
relinquishes the chair to Columbia in 1995.

Apart from Indonesia, six other countries -- Brunei, Chile,
Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Singapore -- are
members of both APEC and NAM.

Nana explained that one of the reasons for the support is that
the decisions contained within the Bogor declaration are in line
with the aspirations of NAM, such as in areas of development
cooperation and the North-South dialog.

"Addressing issues of global economic disparity is one of
NAM's challenges," he said.

Reviewing the revitalized role of NAM since the Jakarta summit
of 1992, Nana noted that the Western media was still persistent
in its obsolete perception of NAM.

He argued that NAM had shed its confrontational and rhetorical
manner of the past and has now embarked on a cooperative approach
focusing on economic development.

"(Even) the leaders of the developed countries have begun to
appreciate our new approach but they are not being backed-up by
public opinion," he said, adding that the "international press
has not come to the same appreciation."

Overall, Nana acknowledged that Indonesia's hosting of APEC
and the chairmanship of NAM has boosted the country's
international image.

He also said Indonesia's election as a non-permanent of the
United Nations Security Council is living proof of NAM member
countries' support for the Jakarta government.

Indonesia will serve as a non-permanent member in the Security
Council for the 1995-1996 period beginning Jan. 1, 1995. (mds)