President meets with ASEAN envoys

JAKARTA (JP): As an indication of the continued importance Indonesia places on regional cooperation, newly elected President Abdurrahman Wahid met with nine envoys from the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Friday.

Abdurrahman hinted during the meeting that his first trip abroad would be to attend the ASEAN summit in Manila next month.

Malaysia's ambassador to Indonesia, Rastam Muhammad Isa, said after the meeting that Abdurrahman expressed his desire to enhance cooperation between the 10-member regional grouping, adding that Abdurrahman "expressed his willingness to meet with ASEAN leaders during the informal meeting in Manila in November".

Indonesia is a founding member of the regional grouping, which also includes Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

ASEAN has been considered the cornerstone of Indonesia's foreign policy in the past.

There were fears that with Indonesia's attention diverted by its pressing political and economic crises, its primary role in ASEAN would be diminished.

However, the 70-minute meeting with the ASEAN envoys on Friday seemed to signal the importance of the grouping to the new government.

Rastam said Abdurrahman also expressed his desire to visit Malaysia and meet with Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

The ambassador, however, did not say if a meeting between the two leaders would be arranged in the near future. (05)