'Partnership vital to fight hunger'

'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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