Powell's visit to Asia expected to bring peace

Powell's visit to Asia expected to bring peace

Last Friday, spokesman for the U.S. State Department, Richard
Boucher, announced State Secretary Colin Powell's plan to visit
Asia. During his eight-day tour of Asian nations starting July
26, Powell is to visit India, Pakistan, Thailand, Malaysia,
Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Powell's visit is particularly aimed at attending the ASEAN
Regional Forum to be held in Brunei on July 31.

We express hope that Powell's visit would contribute to the
creation of peace in this region and the rest of the world.
During his tour of India and Pakistan, he will try to ease
tensions between the two countries over Kashmir.

More importantly, Powell's visit would create a friendly
atmosphere between the U.S. and Southeast Asian countries.
Hopefully, the visit would not revive a sense of mutual
suspicion, particularly with regard to the Sept. 11 attacks on
the U.S.

-- Kompas, Jakarta