RI seeks partnership with Asian giants

RI seeks partnership with Asian giants

NEW DELHI (JP): Indonesia reaffirmed its desire to forge a
strategic partnership with Asian countries to balance Western
predominance when President Abdurrahman Wahid on Wednesday urged
India to participate in a strong alliance.

"In order to stay strongly in the world market, we have to
develop a so-called 'close alliance' with China, Russia, India
and Indonesia. This will be important for us in the long run,"
said Abdurrahman during a meeting with the Federation of Indian
Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

Abdurrahman, on the last day of a two-day visit here, claimed
he had already initiated talks with China during a recent visit
to Beijing.

Earlier this month an Indonesian Foreign Ministry statement
charting policy for the coming year stressed the need for
Indonesia and fellow members of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations along with China, India, Japan and South Korea, to
form a strategic alliance to combat Western domination of the
global political economy.

Abdurrahman on Wednesday did not elaborate on this policy but
signaled his confidence that after personally visiting India,
such a partnership could be forged.

"My belief that India and Indonesia can go a long way
economically, culturally and politically is vindicated now," he
remarked.

Stressing the important historical and cultural links between
the two countries, Abdurrahman said the relationship with India
"is very important for us."

"We agreed that we have to return the relationship to the time
of President Sukarno. At that time we were close."

Later in the afternoon Abdurrahman witnessed the signing of a
trade cooperation agreement between India's state-owned Mining
and Metallurgical Trading Corp. and the Indonesian Chamber of
Commerce and Industry.

The President called on Indian business and industry to invest
in Indonesia while highlighting the potential in information
technology and automotive sectors.

Movies

During a separate meeting with some 250 Indonesians living in
India, Abdurrahman casually spoke of his health and the treatment
he has been receiving from a group of Chinese doctors since
December to cure his ailing eyesight.

He said the doctors were combining traditional medical
techniques, including acupuncture and herbal jamu, with
sophisticated medical technology.

He revealed that he has to drink an herbal concoction and
receive acupuncture treatments daily.

"Insya Allah (God willing), I will be able to see again in the
next few months ... And I will be to see my favorite Indian
films," he remarked as everyone around him burst into laughter.

Abdurrahman is also scheduled to go to Utah in the United
States sometime in April for a further medical check-up.

During his visit to a clinic there last November, doctors said
the visual capacity of the president's right eye was at 20
percent while his left eye would likely not recover.

Abdurrahman left New Delhi Wednesday night. He is expected to
arrive in Seoul on Thursday morning and stay there until Friday
evening.

He will fly to Bangkok on Friday before returning home on
Sunday morning. (prb)