RI backs grouping of Indian Ocean

RI backs grouping of Indian Ocean

By Meidyatama Suryodiningrat

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia supports the idea of an economic
regional grouping incorporating the many countries surrounding
the Indian Ocean.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas unhesitatingly
expressed Jakarta's keenness when asked by The Jakarta Post about
the possibility of Indonesia's participation in the group.

"We see it as a positive development," Alatas said while
pointing out the various activities Indonesia is already involved
in with Indian Ocean countries.

The concept of the grouping gained momentum last month when
South African Deputy President F.W. de Klerk brought up the idea
while visiting Prime Minister Paul Keating in Australia.

Canberra fully endorses the idea and is arranging a conference
in June to discuss the formation of an Indian Ocean trade and
security grouping.

A list of 37-nations are expected to receive invitations later
this month.

Alatas said the group would encompass "the African countries
from South Africa all the way to Tanzania in the west and the
ASEAN countries all the way to Australia in the east."

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a
regional socio-economic grouping which comprises Brunei,
Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

Just a few weeks ago, the Malaysian foreign ministry's deputy
secretary general, Abdul Halim Ali, also expressed Kuala Lumpur's
empathy for the grouping.

When confronted with the question of the necessity of
Indonesia to be involved in another regional group, Alatas argued
that the Indian Ocean was a specter which had not been touched
upon before.

"We definitely need it because this involves another region
and different issues," he said, adding that the activities in
this particular region, especially economic ones, need to be
further stimulated.

Apart from ASEAN, Indonesia has been a key player in the 18-
nation Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.

Referring to Alatas' Monday statement on the sanctions imposed
on Iraq, the director of information Irawan Abidin said yesterday
that a Non-Aligned Movement Caucus in the United Nations Security
Council is endeavoring to ease the sanctions.

Irawan stressed however that Alatas made no reference to
Indonesia's views as representing those shared by all 111 NAM
members.

He said that such a common view "would require a survey that
is impossible to carry out at such short notice."

Meanwhile, legislator Theo Sambuaga when asked about the idea
of an Indian Ocean grouping seemed less enthusiastic. He told the
Post that it would probably be more effective if the existing
regional organizations cooperated amongst themselves.

"It is neither relevant nor urgent," said the member of the
ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organization and former member of the
House of Representative's Commission I on foreign affairs.

ASEAN has already institutionalized periodic talks with India
to improve economic ties. (mds)