Soeharto busy in Copenhagen

Soeharto busy in Copenhagen

COPENHAGEN (JP): President Soeharto got down to business straight away yesterday morning, after his 16-hour flight from Jakarta.

Settling down at the Hotel D'Angleterre, Soeharto received a progress report from Coordinating Minister of People's Welfare Azwar Anas and Minister of Social Services Inten Suweno about the on-going World Conference on Social Development.

The Indonesian head of state has been appointed one of the vice presidents of the UN summit, which opens on Saturday. Soeharto, along with leaders from the Philippines, China, South Korea, India and Qatar, has been selected to represent Asia.

He is scheduled to address the gathering of about 130 world leaders on the opening day in his capacity as the Indonesian President as well as chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement.

Soeharto ordered Indonesia's top diplomats and his staff to keep him abreast of the situation in war-ravaged Bosnia- Herzegovina ahead of his visit to the besieged capital of Sarajevo next Monday, his aides said.

The Indonesian leader will be conducting state affairs from his Copenhagen hotel suite for the next four days. Besides attending the summit, he will also be holding meetings with a number of leaders who are also in town.

Later yesterday, Soeharto was scheduled to meet with Ave Sven Bruun, a leader of the Danish cooperative movement, and Algerian president Liamine Zeroual.

Today, his schedule includes meetings with Philippine president Fidel Ramos, Polish president Lech Walesa, Madagascar's prime minister Francique Ravony and Bangladeshi prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia. He will also take part in a mini-summit of leaders of the world's nine most populous countries to discuss the program of "education for all".

Also on his schedule during his stay in Copenhagen are meetings with Chinese prime minister Li Peng and Turkish president Suleiman Demirel. Soeharto and his entourage will leave for Zagreb on Sunday before making a brief visit to Sarajevo on Monday. (riz)