Soeharto to visit Jordan, attend food summit in Italy
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)