President receives credentials from three new foreign envoys
President receives credentials from three new foreign envoys
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The newly appointed United States Ambassador to Indonesia, B.
Lynn Pascoe, presented his credentials to President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono on Thursday to mark the start of his mission
here.
During a courtesy call on the President after a formal state
ceremony at the Merdeka Palace, Pascoe held a brief discussion
with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on various ways to
develop relations between the two countries.
Pascoe replaces Ambassador Ralph L. Boyce, whose three-year
term ended last month.
The new U.S. ambassador to Indonesia was formerly the U.S.
representative in Malaysia.
A senior diplomat with 35 years experience, Pascoe has also
had postings in Beijing and Shanghai. He speaks fluent Mandarin.
In a speech before the U.S. Congress at home, Pascoe said that
facilitating the peace process in Aceh would be one of his
priority objectives while stationed in Indonesia, as well as
improving economic ties between the two countries.
On the same day, Susilo also received the credentials of the
newly appointed Russian Ambassador to Indonesia, Mikhail M. Bely,
and Equadorian Ambassador to Indonesia Alfonso Lopez Araujo.
Ambassador Bely was a former director of the Russian foreign
ministry's second Asian department and was in the region during
the Korean Peninsula nuclear crisis.
After presenting his credentials, Bely held brief talks with
the President and Indonesian foreign minister Hassan Wirayuda.
The three new ambassadors to Indonesia were treated to the
sight of a rally in front of the palace staged by hundreds of
Tanah Abang market traders.
The protesters had taken to the streets to protest the Jakarta
administration's plan to close down several blocks of the market
so as to make way for a new building for traders.
"Is that a rally? Who are they? Are they the Tanah Abang
traders?" the President asked one of his staff as a member of the
Presidential Guard opened the palace front door for the Russian
ambassador.