Slovak Republic vows to boost cooperation with SE Asia

JAKARTA (JP): The Slovak Republic is committed to strengthening its cooperation with Southeast Asian countries despite the economic woes that have hit the region over the past few months, says its official.

Visiting Slovak Foreign Minister Zdenka Kramplova told journalists here yesterday evening that she is convinced that Indonesia will be able to overcome its economic crisis in the second half of this year.

"Based on the remarkable economic development that Indonesia has achieved over the past decades, I am convinced that Indonesia can cope with its current economics problems the second half of this year," Kramplova said.

Kramplova, who arrived in Jakarta on Wednesday night, held talks earlier yesterday with President Soeharto, Foreign Minister Ali Alatas, House Speaker Harmoko, and Trade and Industry Minister Tungky Ariwibowo.

She said that during the meetings, she had been briefed by the Indonesian dignitaries about the economic problems the Jakarta government is currently facing.

"Slovak is committed to enhancing cooperation with Indonesia, which has been established since the days of the Republic of Czechoslovakia," the foreign minister added.

The Slovak Republic came into existence in Jan. 1, 1993, as one of the successor states of the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic.

A counselor of the Slovak's embassy here, Vladimir Pristas, said that his country is one of the steel-plate suppliers to Indonesia, aside from chemicals. Slovak imports rubber and coffee from Indonesia.

Saying that imports from Indonesia declined to US$16.6 million last year from $17.5 million in 1996, Pristas said that Slovak's machinery for hydroelectric power has been widely used in Indonesia.

Kramplova leaves Jakarta for Singapore today, before flying to the Philippines in her three-nation tour of the region. (ego)