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)