Soeharto cuts short his trip to Cairo

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto cut short his trip to Cairo and flew home yesterday after holding a meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on efforts to improve bilateral ties.

"The state visit is being shortened, but I don't know the exact time when President Soeharto will depart," Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas was quoted by Antara as saying in Cairo yesterday.

Soeharto arrived in Cairo Sunday to attend the G-15 summit at which he warned in his address of the contagion of the economic crisis which had been affecting Asia since mid-1997.

Alatas said the party authorized to issue any announcement about Soeharto's departure was Minister/State Secretary Saadillah Mursjid. Alatas did not specify why Soeharto decided to cut short his trip; he was originally scheduled to arrive home tomorrow.

Asked for comment about foreign reports on the chaotic situation in Indonesia, Alatas called on the nation's citizens to remain critical because there were actually reports which were groundless.

Alatas also said that early yesterday he met with his Egyptian counterpart Amr Moussa to discuss ways to improve relations, particularly on economics, between the two countries.

Indonesian exports to Egypt in 1997 totaled US$195 million, and its imports were $5 million. Indonesia exports plywood, textiles, tires and paper, and imports from Egypt fruit, among other things.

During the meeting, Alatas and his counterpart signed a banking and payment agreement.

Alatas also said Indonesia was seeking Cairo's support for the nomination of Jonathan Parapak, the secretary-general of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, to the post of executive secretary of the International Telecommunication Organization.

"Egypt has promised to give its support," Alatas said, adding that Cairo asked in return Indonesia's backing for a position in the executive board of the organization. (swe)