Soeharto to leave for APEC

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto will leave on Sunday morning for Manila to attend the annual leadership meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono said yesterday.

The APEC summit will be held in Subic, a booming industrial town build on a former U.S. military base southwest of Manila, on Nov. 24 and Nov. 25.

Moerdiono said the President will hold bilateral meetings with Singaporean Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong and Chinese President Jiang Zemin, Antara reported.

Soeharto hosted the second APEC summit in Bogor in 1994.

The Indonesian leader will meet some of those present in Manila later next week when he hosts the informal summit involving 10 Southeast Asian leaders.

From Manila, the news agency also reported that Soeharto will be staying at the Manila Hotel on Roxas Boulevard.

U.S. President Bill Clinton will be staying at the same hotel.

Moerdiono did not say whether Soeharto will meet with Clinton on this occasion.

From Washington, a group of environmental and human rights organizations urged Clinton on Thursday to raise the environmental issue should he meet with Soeharto in Manila, Reuters reported.

Clinton also received demands from his Democratic Party and a group of U.S. senators to raise the question of East Timor with Soeharto in Manila. (emb)