RI, Japan concerned with nuclear tests

By Oei Eng Goan

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (JP): Indonesia and Japan share common a concern on the violation of non-Nuclear Proliferation Treaty by signatory countries and called on the nuclear-power countries to move towards the cessation of their tests.

"We discussed the (nuclear) tests that one country is doing and another country intends to do, and on that score I think, there is an identity of view between Japan and Indonesia. We both deeply regret the tests," Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas told journalists moments after he met with his Japanese counterpart Yohei Kono yesterday.

Although Alatas did not mention specific countries, it was widely understood that he was referring to China, which conducted the test last May, and the planned series of tests by France in the South Pacific sometime next month.

Kono is in Brunei's capital to attend the second ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) which opens today, a day after foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) concluded their 28th annual meeting on Sunday.

Asked whether Japan had asked Indonesia, or ASEAN, to put more pressure on countries violating the NPT, Alatas said: "No, we did not go that far."

Alatas said that other issues, such as the preparation of the APEC meeting in Osaka, the ASEAN Europe Meeting and Japanese involvement in the development of light water reactor for North Korea, currently being constructed by the Korean Energy Development Organization and jointly financed by Japan, South Korea and the United States, were discussed during the meeting.

The meeting, held in the Purple Room of the Centerpoint Hotel, lasted 10 minutes longer than scheduled.

Alatas said he also informed Kono about the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), which will be attended by 25 leaders from the two continents. ASEM, proposed by senior officials of ASEAN and designed to discuss political and economic issues in an open and frank atmosphere, will be represented by all seven members of ASEAN -- which comprises Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam -- Japan, South Korea and China and all members of the European Union.

Alatas had earlier said that although Indonesia preferred the participation of more Asian countries, such as India, Australia and New Zealand, a few other ASEAN members rejected the idea.

Spokesman from the Japanese foreign ministry, Takashi Nakane, said that during the bilateral talks with Indonesia, the Tokyo government had reiterated its stance on East Asian Economic Caucus (EAEC), an economic cooperation plan proposed by Malaysian Premier Mahathir Mohamad, which is strongly opposed by the United States.

Despite being supported by all ASEAN member countries, "Japan thinks that the EAEC can be realized only with the blessing of all APEC members," Nakane said, adding that the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum had been so much developed.

A number of foreign dignitaries arrived yesterday, including U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher, Australian Foreign Minister Gareth Evans and New Zealand's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Don McKinnon, to attend the ARF meeting.

Alatas is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Evans today.