RI and Egypt should forge closer relations: Soeharto

RI and Egypt should forge closer relations: Soeharto

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia and Egypt should forge an even closer
relationship, President Soeharto said on Wednesday.

In his speech accepting the credential letters of Egypt's new
ambassador to Indonesia, Mahmoud Mohamed Osman, the President
said closer ties between the two are bound to help development in
their respective countries.

Soeharto underlined the importance of the Non-Aligned Movement
as a vehicle through which developing countries fight for their
interests.

Indonesia and Egypt are both leading members of the movement.

This year, during which Indonesia marked its golden
anniversary, Soeharto paid tribute to Egypt's role in supporting
Indonesia's independence struggle 50 years ago.

Ambassador Osman, 57, is a career diplomat who has served in
Pakistan, Canada and the United Nations and was Egypt's
ambassador in Kenya in 1986 to 1990. Since then, he has held
various government positions, ranging from chief cabinet deputy
prime minister, director of department of policy and planning and
director of research and political information.

Ambassador Osman was one of two new foreign envoys who
presented their letters of credentials to the President at the
Merdeka Palace on Wednesday.

The other one was Abdul Momen Choudhury of Bangladesh.

To Ambassador Choudhury, President Soeharto said that
Indonesia and Bangladesh should strive to expand their existing
relations to encompass the private business sectors of the two
countries, as well as the two governments.

Soeharto also expressed his gratitude for Bangladesh's strong
support during Indonesia's three-year chairmanship of the Non-
Aligned Movement between 1992 and 1995. (emb)