RI to contact Pyongyang, Seoul to defuse tension

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto, in his capacity as chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), plans to dispatch an envoy to Pyongyang yet again in the hopes of defusing the escalating tensions on the peninsula.

Nana Sutresna, assistant to the NAM chairman, told reporters on Thursday that he will also be traveling to Seoul in the hope of finding a peaceful way out of the conflict.

Indonesia however has no intention of acting as an intermediary between the conflicting parties, Nana said.

"Our approach will be cautious to prevent the worst possibilities," Nana said. "In near future, I'll meet again with the heads of these states."

North Korea is a fellow NAM member while South Korea has increasingly become a major trading partner and a vital source of foreign investment for Indonesia.

Nana on Thursday met with President Soeharto during which the tension on the Korean peninsula was discussed especially in light of Pyongyang's decision to withdraw from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the United States plan to push for an international economic embargo as punishment.

Soeharto, according to Nana, expressed his concern over the latest development and urged all concerned parties to exercise self-restraint and resolve their differences at the negotiating table.

The situation has put the peninsula's stability at stake, Nana said quoting the President who also expressed concern about the possibility of war in the area.

Nana said North Korea's rejection of international demands to submit to full nuclear inspections has worsened the situation.

He said the other NAM members are also concerned about the situation in Korea, as can be seen by the attention devoted to the issue during the recent NAM ministerial conference in Cairo. (11)