Soeharto to visit Jordan, attend food summit in Italy

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto will leave on an overseas trip next week that will take him to Jordan and Italy, Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono said yesterday.

The visit to Jordan on Nov. 11-14 is reciprocal to the one made by King Hussein to Indonesia in 1986, while the trip to Italy on Nov. 14-16 is to attend the World Food Summit in Rome, Moerdiono told reporters in his office.

The President made a brief stopover in Amman on his return from a European trip in 1977. This time round, he will have more time to visit some historic as well as touristic sites in Jordan.

Moerdiono said the purpose of the visit is to forge friendship and explore the possibility of promoting economic and trade ties.

Besides a meeting with King Hussein, President Soeharto and his host will also witness the signing of an agreement on investment protection and on commercial shipping.

The President will also visit the Dead Sea, the Jordan Valley and Petra, a famous tourist site, according to Moerdiono.

In Rome, Soeharto is one of many world leaders who have been asked to address the food summit, organized by the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

"I think he will be the third speaker, after the FAO Director General and the Pope," he said.

Soeharto has been asked to talk about the Indonesian experience in bringing about food self-sufficiency, and about ways of developing the agriculture sector and promoting the welfare of farmers and poor people.

Indonesia became self-sufficient in rice, the nation's staple diet in 1984. Previously, it was the largest importer of the crop in the world market which made it vulnerable to changes in world prices.

The Indonesian experience, Moerdiono said "hopefully will be useful to other developing countries."

While in Rome, the President will also pay a courtesy call on Italian President as well as meet with other leaders present. So far, meetings had been scheduled with leaders or representatives from Bangladesh, Iran, India and Spain, Moerdiono said.

Moerdiono said that he and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas will be in the President's entourage. (emb)