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.