Soeharto given royal welcome in cambodia
Soeharto given royal welcome in cambodia
PHNOM PENH (Agencies): Cambodia yesterday rolled out the red
carpet for President Soeharto on his first state visit here in
almost 30 years, amid hopes the trip will boost the country's bid
to join the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Soeharto, accompanied by a 48-member official delegation
including Foreign Minister Ali Alatas and State Secretary
Moerdiono, will next travel to Laos and Myanmar, two other
countries hoping to be accepted as full ASEAN members at the
association's ministerial meeting in July in Kuala Lumpur.
Soeharto, who last visited Cambodia in 1968, arrived to a red-
carpet welcome at Phnom Penh's Pochentong International Airport
where he was met by Cambodia's King Norodom Sihanouk and top
government officials.
Ceremonial guards wearing traditional dress and carrying
spears stood at attention as Soeharto stepped off his Garuda
Indonesia Boeing 737, greeted King Sihanouk and listened as a
military band played the Cambodian and Indonesian national
anthems.
Neither the king nor Soeharto made any public comments, but
met the assembled diplomatic corps and government officials.
They then quickly headed to the palace as thousands of school
children clad in blue and white uniforms lined the streets waving
flags and portraits of the leaders.
Though officials from both sides said Cambodia's entry into
ASEAN was not on the table for discussion, they admitted that
Soeharto's visit could only boost the country's chances for
entry.
"Of course I think it will help the admission, said Cambodian
Foreign Minister Ung Huot. "Obviously good relations with ASEAN
countries is a key to membership."
Indonesia's ambassador to Cambodia Hamid Alhadad agreed.
"Certainly it will help, but (the subject) will not be discussed
at length, " he told reporters.
On Friday in Jakarta, Moerdiono said the visit "will be used
by all parties to strengthen bilateral ties, particularly in
economic and trade cooperation.
"There will also be exchange of thoughts on various regional
and international issues," he said.
Indonesia, which co-chaired the 1991 Paris peace talks and the
resulting treaty that technically ended the civil war in
Cambodia, has been a strong supporter of Cambodia's ASEAN
application.
ASEAN, which groups Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, has said the three
states will be admitted at the same time, but has not said when
that will be.
At King Sihanouk's palace Soeharto also met several Cambodian
officials including National Assembly Chairman Chea Sim and First
and Second Prime Ministers Prince Norodom Ranariddh and Hun Sen.
ASEAN is known to be concerned about the recent sharp rise in
tension between Prince Ranariddh's and Hun Sen's political
parties.
Today the Indonesian delegation is expected to sign two
bilateral agreements with the Cambodian side including a trade
pact designed to promote a 1994 accord on economic and technical
cooperation and a memorandum of understanding on oil and gas
exploration and development.
The memorandum is expected to call for the creation of a joint
commission to monitor petroleum projects.
The agreement will be signed by representatives of Indonesia's
Pertamina state oil and gas company and the Cambodian ministry of
industry, mines and energy.
Also on the agenda will be talks on reviving an aviation
agreement signed on Soeharto's first state visit to Cambodia in
1968 which lapsed two years later when then-Prince Sihanouk was
deposed in a coup.
The Indonesian president also attended a state banquet in his
honor yesterday evening hosted by King Sihanouk and Queen Norodom
Monineath Sihanouk who traveled to Jakarta last year at his
invitation.
During his stay in Cambodia, Soeharto is also scheduled to
visit the Silver Pagoda and the Elephant Stable as well as an
telecommunications exhibition.
Soeharto is scheduled to depart tomorrow for Vientiane and
Yangon.