Shifting bilateral relations into global partnership

Shifting bilateral relations into global partnership

By Seiichi Okawa

Ambassador designate, Taizo Watanabe, who arrived in Indonesia
this week said in an interview with The Jakarta Post that he was
delighted to head the Japanese mission in Jakarta as the climate
and the atmosphere in Southeast Asia suits him well. The
interview was held in Tokyo last week.

TOKYO (JP): "Business and economics", that is probably the
most often used description of Japan-Indonesia relations in the
past.

Japan's new ambassador designate to Jakarta, Taizo Watanabe
promises to expand upon this important focus to include other
areas as well.

The 60-year old Watanabe, one of Japan's most able diplomats,
was chosen by Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama to succeed
recently departed Ambassador Kimio Fujita who is now president of
the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

"The economic-business aspects are of course important, but
just as important are cultural exchanges between the two
countries," Watanabe said, revealing his approach to bilateral
ties.

Married with four children, Watanabe arrived with his wife,
Haruko, in Jakarta on Thursday to begin what is anticipated to be
a fruitful tenure as ambassador.

"I have finished reading some 20 books on Indonesia and found
that this country boasts a variety of exceptional art," he said.

Watanabe vowed to savor and learn to appreciate the various
cultures here.

Born in Tokyo, Watanabe is a graduate of Law from the
University of Tokyo. He entered the Gaimusho, the Japanese
ministry of foreign affairs, in 1956.

He began his diplomatic career with brief postings in the
United States and Kenya before being assigned as First Secretary
at the Japanese embassy in London.

Upon his return to Japan in 1972, Watanabe was given the honor
of serving as private secretary to the Chief Cabinet Secretary
after which other senior positions in the Gaimusho were soon to
follow.

In 1983 Watanabe was posted to Thailand where he was deputy
chief of the embassy in Bangkok. However this assignment lasted
only a year because he was transferred to Los Angeles as
Consulate-General.

Following his stint on the west coast of America, Watanabe
moved to the east coast as deputy to the ambassador in
Washington.

In 1989, Watanabe returned to Tokyo to serve as Gaimusho's
spokesperson until 1992 after which he was selected as Ambassador
to Egypt.

Coming on the heels of his tenure in Cairo, Watanabe admits he
is genuinely looking forward to coming to Jakarta.

"I'm very happy to be able to serve in Jakarta...especially
since my wife and I love tropical fruits such as durian and
mangoes."

When asked why he had moved to Jakarta earlier, Watanabe said
that he had numerous family affairs to attend to in Tokyo.

"I was thinking of attending the Aug. 17 celebrations, but I
felt it was better to conclude my personal affairs first so that
when I arrived in Jakarta I could fully concentrate on my work,"
he said.

Watanabe's four grown children are all pursuing careers of
their own in Japan. The youngest one recently acquired a job at
the Yomiuri daily newspaper and will start working as a
journalist next April.

Though none of the Watanabes' children will escort them to
Jakarta, it certainly doesn't mean the ambassador won't have
anything to occupy his free time.

Watanabe and his wife have adopted four other "children",
their cats Pyonko, Antenna, Salt and Pepper.

"My wife loves cats, so I have to come to like them too," he
explained.

Watanabe said that three of his feline friends "served" with
him in Cairo and they will again accompany the ambassador and his
wife to Jakarta.

The latter, Pepper, won't be coming because the nine year old
cat has a very "independent attitude."

If he can break free from his daily chores of nursing the
cats, Watanabe can probably be found spending his free time
trying to improve on his 18 handicap.

He admits to being an ardent golfer and swimmer and also lists
traveling as a major hobby.

During his stay in Cairo, Watanabe was impressed by the sounds
of people reciting the Koran rekindling his interest in music and
the arts.

"Though I'm not good at singing karaoke, I do like to get
together for a sing-a-long," he said.

When confronted for his views on the many contentious issues
prevailing in Indonesian politics, Watanabe diplomatically said
that he would first like to learn more about the situation and
obtain information in Jakarta before commenting on them.

"I'm not a diplomat who easily remarks on something without
first confirming its validity," he answered.

However Watanabe was secure in noting the positive
developments of President Soeharto's leadership over the past 25
years.

Speaking about bilateral relations with Indonesia, Watanabe
strongly believes that ties should shift from merely a bilateral
sphere to a global perspective.

He points to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting due
to be held in Jakarta and Indonesia's leadership of the Non-
aligned Movement as prime examples.

Watanabe also sees a strong need to start up an easy and open
line of communication between the countries to create a better
mutual understanding of the peoples.

"I'm confident that I can be a catalyst in furthering dialog
between Japan and this important country," he said.