Soeharto, Bolkiah open NAM cooperation center

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto and visiting Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah jointly inaugurated yesterday the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Center for South-South Technical Cooperation in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta.

The 11-story building, located on a 4,981-square-meter plot in the Kemayoran Fairground, was financed by the Sultan at the President's request in 1992.

"The Brunei government provided the funding for the physical development... as a supplement to the Indonesian government which provided the land," NAM Ambassador at-Large Nana S. Sutresna said in his report to the President.

Nana did not disclose the size of the sultan's contribution. An informed source, however, said Bolkiah donated at least US$10.5 million for the building.

The establishment of the center was one of ways the September 1992 NAM summit in Jakarta decided to boost South-South cooperation.

"The center's programs will be focused on people-centered development through exchange programs, training, workshops and exchange of experiences (among the NAM members)," Nana said.

The programs are part of a development scheme which is directly geared to answering the needs of developing countries, he added.

The building has five lecture rooms, nine meeting rooms, 68 bedrooms, and a conference hall which can accommodate 450 people.

The Sultan and his entourage arrived here Tuesday. There was no information about whether any other meeting took place between the two leaders yesterday.

"The President hosted an informal luncheon to honor the sultan at the Shangri-La hotel yesterday, and then the sultan returned to Brunei," a senior Palace official said yesterday.

Brunei provided a US$1.2 billion bilateral loan for Indonesia last year to supplement the International Monetary Fund rescue package for Indonesia.

The two heads of state met on Feb. 5 to discuss the regional economic crisis, in which Indonesia is the most severely affected country. (prb)