Soeharto, Herzog vow to help make UN strong
Soeharto, Herzog vow to help make UN strong
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto said yesterday that both Indonesia and Germany can play an important role in strengthening the role of the United Nations.
"I believe that Indonesia and Germany can both help each other in restructuring and revitalizing the United Nations," Soeharto said during a luncheon hosted by German President Roman Herzog in Bonn.
Soeharto said that the two countries were both called upon to play an increasingly active role in maintaining global peace and order.
Indonesia is currently serving a two-year term as a non- permanent member of the UN Security Council and has lead a push to restructure the UN body.
It has in the past declared its general support for the inclusion of Germany and Japan as permanent members in an expanded Council.
President Soeharto is currently on a six-day working visit in Germany, during which he attended the opening of the 1995 Hannover Fair last Sunday.
He is accompanied by a large entourage which includes no less than five-cabinet ministers, including Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono, Minister of Trade Satrio Budiardjo Joedono, State Minister of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas.
Speaking at the Villa Hammer-Schmidt presidential palace, Soeharto welcomed as important the support Germany has given in promoting North-South dialog.
He commended Germany's policy in focussing on economic relations with Asian countries, saying economic relations are an important foundation for the building of bilateral ties.
"I see this new policy as giving an even stronger foundation to the developing cooperation which has already been running well," he said.
Earlier yesterday morning, Soeharto opened two Indonesian pavilions at the Hannover Fair.
As Germany's "country partner" for the trade fair, the Indonesian pavilions, called "Progress in Harmony", occupy the largest space at the Fair and house representatives of 54 private and 14 state-owned companies.
Indonesia is the third Asian country to be chosen since the fair began selecting country partners in 1980. The Hannover Fair itself, now the biggest trade fair of its kind, was first held in 1947.
Some 800,000 visitors are expected to attend the Fair, known locally as "Hannover Messe 1995."
Also present at the opening of the Indonesian pavilion was German Chancellor Helmut Kohl.
After modestly opening the pavilion by three-strikes of the gong, Soeharto lead a chorus of Selamat Ulang Tahun (Happy Birthday) to a very surprised German Chancellor, who was celebrating his birthday.
"My wife and I along with all the Indonesian community wish Your Excellency a happy 65th birthday," Soeharto said.
In response to the gesture, Kohl recalled how he first met Soeharto in 1972 and said that both countries wanted to move forward into the future together so that the distance between the two countries would no longer be significant.
As a final present, Soeharto handed Kohl a framed portrait of the Chancellor.
After the opening, Soeharto toured the pavilion grounds and witnessed the signing of several contracts between German and Indonesian firms.
Among the agreements signed was a five-year US$10 million joint venture investment between PT Great River Industries and van Laack Gmbh.
PT Jawa Power, whose biggest shareholder is German company Siemens, signed a $1.6 million deal with Indonesia's state-owned electricity company PT PLN to construct and operate the Paiton 2 coal-fired powered plant in East Java.
Another German company, Deutsche Telekom-DeTeMobil signed an agreement for the inclusion of its capital investment into Indonesian telecommunications company PT Satelindo.
The role of the private sector is an important feature of Indonesia's participation in the Fair. As quoted by Antara Minister Habibie said on Saturday that the government did not have to fund the construction of the Indonesian pavilion at the Fair.
He said the funds were provided by the private sector and that the government only had to facilitate by providing services through its embassy or consulate in Germany.
Some of Indonesia's top businessmen, such as Jakob Oetama, Prayogo Pangestu and timber tycoon Mohamad Hasan are in Hannover to participate in the Fair.
This morning, Soeharto is scheduled to receive a visit from German foreign minister Klaus Kinkel which will be followed by bilateral talks with Chancellor Kohl. (mds)