Powell meets RI minister

Powell meets RI minister

WASHINGTON (AFP): Minister of Trade and Industry Luhut Panjaitan told U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell Friday Indonesia would use democratic and constitutional means to work through its political turmoil, officials said.

The two men held talks at the State Department and Powell was given a summary of recent events in Indonesia, spokesman Richard Boucher said.

Their meeting came as Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid rejected calls for his resignation after he was censured by parliament over financial scandals, and amid Indonesia's continuing ethnic and territorial conflicts.

The talks focused on the "current situation in Indonesia and how Indonesia would work through a democratic and constitutional process," said Boucher.

Some of the ethnic, territorial and political conflicts raging in Indonesia were also on the agenda, Boucher said, and the minister stressed "the importance of dialogue" in solving them.