Singapore hopes for strong Indonesian government
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Singapore's next prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong, spoke on a wide range of bilateral issues during his 45-minute talk with his host President Megawati Soekarnoputri on Monday as part of his three-day introductory visit to Indonesia.
The current deputy prime minister described his visit as an opportunity to meet with various Indonesian leaders, and to update himself on how things are going with various issues in Indonesia.
"Indonesia is very important to us," said Lee, in his first visit to Indonesia after Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong last year publicly announced Lee would be his successor.
Meanwhile, in a clear demonstration of confidence in the son of Singapore's founding father Lee Kuan Yew, the President raised several urgent issues with him, including the issue of boundary problems between the two countries. Indonesia has complained that Singapore's large reclamation projects have cut into Indonesia's sovereign territory.
Lee said there were some "gray areas" between the two countries, that have not been fully demarcated.
"I said that's in progress and the meeting between our officials will happen in a few months," he said.
Lee is touring several countries in the region on this trip. Goh has frequently visited Jakarta and Megawati is a regular visitor to Singapore, even when she was still vice president in 1999 and 2000.
Five days before his arrival in Jakarta, Singapore surprisingly fulfilled Indonesia's demand for the publication of the two countries' bilateral trade data. According to the data, total trade value between the two countries last year was worth S$26.2 billion (approximately Rp 131 trillion), where Indonesia's exports to the island city state were worth S$14.5 billion.
Lee told The Jakarta Post in 1998, that his country had not publicly published the data since 1974 because of requests from Indonesia.
"If we both publish figures there will be differences and there will be misunderstandings," Lee noted at that time.
On Monday the deputy prime minister said, "We released them for the first time and we are in the process of reviewing our methodology to make it consistent with World Trade Organization standards."
"Last year, Singapore became the fifth-biggest investor in Indonesia," said Lee, who is expected to replace Goh in 2005.
The President also briefed him about this year' general elections. "We wish Indonesia well, and hope the election goes well, and new strong government emerges that will lead Indonesia forward peacefully and prosperously," Lee said.
The retired brigadier general will return to Singapore on Wednesday.