Soeharto receives new Turkish, Chinese envoys

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto received the credentials of new ambassadors yesterday in a ceremony without speeches for the first time, marking a new protocol in state ceremony.

Soeharto received yesterday letters of credential from Chinese Ambassador Chen Shiqiu and Turkish Ambassador Mehmet Guney at Merdeka Palace.

The new envoys also did not make any speeches during the ceremony.

Shiqiu replaces Zhou Gang who was stationed here since September 1995.

Guney is the successor of Sevinc Dalyanoglu who arrived here in July 1992.

According to previous state protocol, both the President and the new ambassador are expected to deliver a brief speech during the ceremony.

"We have planned this for long time in an effort to make a it a briefer but no less solemn ceremony," said a palace official.

According to the Diplomatic and Consular List, issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in January 1997, there are 126 foreign embassies in Jakarta.

The official pointed out that speechless ceremonies were common in other countries. "The credential ceremony is an important event, and the meaning will not decrease without a speech, this is merely for efficiency purposes".

Departing ambassadors say their farewells to either the President or, more commonly, the Vice President.

State protocol officials have tried in the past few years to shorten the ceremonies attended by the 76-year-old President.

"The President no longer shakes hands with all guests he receives, especially when their number is so big that he has to spend a long time doing it," another official said. (prb)