'Partnership vital to fight hunger'

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto addressed the World Food Summit in Rome yesterday, urging developed countries to renew their commitment to building a world free of hunger and malnutrition.

He expressed hope that the summit would solidify the world leaders' commitment to initiate realistic and pragmatic steps to help an estimated 800 million people in the world still living in hunger.

"With cooperation based on partnership we are sure that the food problem, faced primarily by developing countries, can be overcome," the President said.

He further highlighted the fact that about one-fourth of the estimated 800 million living in hunger were children.

Soeharto arrived in Rome Thursday after spending four-days on a state visit to Amman.

Accompanying Soeharto was Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas, Minister of Agriculture Sjarifudin Baharsjah, Minister of Forestry Djamaloedin Soeryohadikoesoemo and Chairman of the Logistics Board Beddu Amang.

Soeharto was among the 37 heads of state and government scheduled to address the summit yesterday. Other speakers included Chinese Premier Li Peng, South Korean Prime Minister Lee Soo-sung and French President Alain Juppe.

The summit is aimed at finding a long term solution to hunger and malnutrition. It further aims to seek commitment to reduce hunger by half by the year 2015.

An estimated 80 heads of state and government are attending the meeting.

President Soeharto challenged the summit yesterday, saying that if developed countries are ready to reaffirm their commitment, world hunger can be eradicated by the 21st Century.

The sad fact, according to Soeharto, is there is actually an abundant supply of food in the world.

"We witness an excess of food in developed countries. Yet food shortages and hunger plagues continue to be a long torment in developing countries, particularly in Africa and Asia," Soeharto said.

While stressing the importance of cooperation, Soeharto also warned of the danger of it developing into a relationship of dependence.

"It has to be clear from the very beginning that food aid from developed countries must not make the developing ones perpetually dependent," he said.

Such aid, the President maintained, must become only one aspect of assistance in a process towards self-sufficiency.

Touching on efforts toward food cooperation, Soeharto explained that Indonesia has in the past five years hosted various training and workshop programs for farmers and officials working in the agricultural sector.

Over 1,000 participants from developing countries have taken part in the programs in Indonesia to learn how the country, which was once a major exporter of rice, achieved self-sufficiency.

Trade

Apart from the food aid, Soeharto also highlighted concern over the international trading system.

He strongly urged developed countries to be wary of trade issues which could lead to a decline in agricultural exports, which in turn will greatly endanger the livelihood of farmers.

"Agricultural products are the traditional staple export of developing countries," he said.

He said Indonesia would consider a collapse in its agricultural sector as a failure of the overall national development since the majority of citizens work in the agricultural field.

Yesterday Soeharto received courtesy calls from a number of foreign dignitaries. They included Premier Abdul Aziz Ghani of Yemen, Iranian Vice President Hassan Habibie and Iraqi Vice- President Taha Marouf.

Shortly after his arrival in Rome Thursday evening, Soeharto met with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed. (mds)

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