Soeharto wellcomes results of EU-ASEAN conference

Soeharto wellcomes results of EU-ASEAN conference

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto Saturday praised the results
of a recent conference between members of the European Union and
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which broke
from traditional discussions concerning human rights.

"The results of the meeting reflect a step forward in the
cooperation between the two organizations," Soeharto said after
receiving the letter of credentials from German ambassador
Heinrich Seemann.

Seemann replaces Karl Walter Lewalter, who goes back to Bonn
to resume a new position at the German foreign ministry.

Soeharto told Seemann of his hope for the results of the
meeting to be followed-up and implemented soon.

Ministers from ASEAN and the EU gathered at Karlsruhe,
Germany, last September for a two-day conference in which
economic and commercial issues overshadowed the customary issue
of human rights as the main feature of the talks.

As German foreign minister Klaus Kinkel revealed after the
conference, even the issue of East Timor was not brought up
during the meetings.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines,
Singapore and Thailand, while the EU comprises Belgium, Britain,
Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Ireland, Luxembourg, the
Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.

Saturday also ushered in a new era in Peru-Indonesia relations
as ambassador Elard Escala Sanchez-Barreto handed in his
credentials to become the first Peruvian ambassador to Jakarta.

"I consistently follow the events occurring in Peru," Soeharto
told Sanchez-Barreto.

Soeharto said in his address that for Indonesia and Peru to
achieve their development objectives, they should foster
cooperation with other countries of the world. One of best forums
for doing this, he said, is the Non-Aligned Movement of which
Indonesia presides and of which Peru is a member. (mds)