RI to contact Pyongyang, Seoul to defuse tension

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.
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