RI, Kazakhstan agree on cooperation

RI, Kazakhstan agree on cooperation

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto signed a broad agreement
yesterday on economic cooperation between Indonesia and
Kazakhstan that will include Indonesia's buying cotton from the
Central Asia state.

The umbrella agreement for cooperation was signed in Almaty,
capital of Kazakhstan, between Soeharto and his host President
Nur Sultan Akbashevich Nazarbayev, at the end of their meeting.

The agreement covers cooperation in the field of the economy,
trade and investment. A more detailed agreement was later signed
by their respective foreign ministers.

Indonesia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas told
reporters accompanying the President on his current overseas trip
that one Kazakhstan commodity that particularly interested
Indonesia was cotton.

Indonesia's burgeoning textile industry relies heavily on
imported cotton, with China, the United States and Pakistan being
the main suppliers.

Three levels of meetings were held almost simultaneously
yesterday in Almaty. One between the presidents, another between
their cabinet ministers, and a third between their business
representatives in the newly-established Indonesia-Kazakhstan
Economic Cooperation Forum.

Some 26 top Indonesian business executives are accompanying
President Soeharto's current tour of Central Asia, which will
also include visits to Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Some of the
businessmen taking part were Hashim Djojohadikoesoemo, Ponco
Sutowo and Dali Sofari.

These business executives will fill in the details of the
economic cooperation agreements that were signed by the two
governments, Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono told reporters.

"The private sector will be encouraged to participate in the
cooperation programs. The government is only providing guidance
and support," Moerdiono said.

Hashim, who controls PT Comexindo, said that his company has
been trading with Kazakhstan for the past two years, supplying
tea and palm oil. Comexindo has forged a number of barter trade
deals with a number of former Soviet republics.

Indonesia's ambassador to Russia, Rachmat Witoelar, who flew
down from Moscow, said there were still obstacles to trading with
Kazakhstan, including the lack of banking facilities. He noted
that the country only introduced its own currency two years ago.

Soeharto was treated last night to a state dinner by his host
Nazarbayev.

At their meeting earlier, the Kazakhstan leader expressed his
intention to visit Indonesia, hopefully this coming June,
according to Moerdiono.

Soeharto and his entourage, who arrived in Almaty on Thursday,
will proceed to Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan, today. On
Monday he will go to Ashgabat, capital of Turkmenistan, for the
last leg of his Central Asia tour. He will fly home on April 12.
(emb)