Soeharto urges peaceful settlement to international quarrels
Soeharto urges peaceful settlement to international quarrels
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto says international disputes
should be resolved without employing coercive methods in order to
ensure the stability and harmony of the region.
"Indonesia is confident that bilateral disagreements and other
international issues can be settled through peaceful means, by
upholding the principle of mutual respect," he said after
accepting the letters of credentials from South Korea's new
ambassador to Indonesia, Kyung Chul Kim, at Merdeka Palace on
Saturday.
Kim, a career diplomat for over three decades, has served his
country in various posts including Singapore, the Vatican and
Poland. He was Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Planning
and Management before being posted here.
Without any specific reference to the current troublesome
situation on the Korean peninsula, Soeharto said Indonesia is
committed to aiding the resolution of prevailing issues in the
region which it perceives with worry.
He also expressed his gratitude for the South Korean
government's participation in developing the country, whether it
be through the auspices of the international aid consortium of
the Consultative Group on Indonesia (CGI), or within the
framework of South-South cooperation.
In reply, Kim commended Soeharto for his leadership in
successfully guiding the nation through the first-long term
development plan stretching back 25 years.
"Under your excellency's eminent leadership based on Pancasila
democracy, we have observed with admiration what Indonesia has
achieved," said Kim, who replaced Myung Kwan Chang.
He added that the second Asia Pacific Economic Conference
(APEC) forum leaders meeting to be held here in November will be
a most successful event conducive to prosperity in the region.
Following Kim was the new Vietnamese ambassador Nguyen Trung
Hieu, who replaced Do Ngoc Duong.
To the Vietnamese ambassador, Soeharto elaborated on the close
relationship between the two countries and the desire to build
further on those ties.
"The friendship between our two countries has stood the test
of history ... In good and bad times our relationship has
remained strong," Soeharto said.
It is because of this close past that there can be no doubt
that Vietnamese-Indonesian ties will become even closer in the
future, he said. (07)