Soeharto leaves for Osaka leaders meeting today
Soeharto leaves for Osaka leaders meeting today
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto is scheduled this morning to leave for Osaka, Japan, to attend the third Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leadership meeting.
Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono announced yesterday that Soeharto would be in Japan until Nov. 20.
Soeharto and other leaders from APEC member economies are scheduled to hold their third informal meeting in Osaka on Sunday.
During his stay in Japan, according to Moerdiono, Soeharto will also pay a courtesy call on Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama and hold bilateral meetings with leaders from Australia, Brunei, New Zealand and Singapore.
Those accompanying the President include First Lady Mrs. Tien Soeharto, Moerdiono, economic adviser to the government Widjojo Nitisastro and the APEC adviser to the President, Bintoro Tjokroaminoto.
When asked about the absence of U.S. President Bill Clinton at Osaka forum, Moerdiono said Indonesia "understood the domestic problems faced by the United States and we hope the United States can solve the problems."
"According to the schedule, this evening at 7:15 p.m. (12:15 GMT) President Clinton will have a telephone conversation with Bapak President," Moerdiono said.
President Clinton has reportedly appointed Vice President Al Gore to represent him at the APEC leadership meeting after he canceled his trip to Japan to attend the crippling budget showdown with the U.S. Congress.
Moerdiono said Clinton's absence should not have a major impact on the importance of decisions to be taken at the Osaka forum.
"Of course, President Clinton's absence will have its impact, but I think that as a whole, it will not lessen the weight of the decisions to be taken by the leaders in Osaka. The quality of the meeting remains high," Moerdiono told journalists.
He said Indonesia hoped that the Osaka forum would come out with two major documents, namely an action agenda to implement what was agreed at last year's forum in Bogor, Indonesia, and a leaders' statement.
In their meeting in Bogor, APEC leaders agreed to liberalize trade and investment among developed members by 2010 and among developing members by 2020 at the latest.
Moerdiono noted that Indonesia was all for the comprehensiveness of trade liberalization, which should cover all sectors without exceptions.
He explained that the leaders' statement should also contain the importance of establishing a dispute mediation service to settle trade disputes among member economies as "the facts show that large trade disputes have occurred among APEC members."
Moerdiono said that such a dispute settlement service should not duplicate the provisions of the World Trade Organization as it gives mediation services based on a voluntarily basis. (rid)