Slovak Republic vows to boost cooperation with SE Asia

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)