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)