Soeharto's state visit to Croatia, Bosnia begins
Soeharto's state visit to Croatia, Bosnia begins
By Rikza Abdullah
ZAGREB (JP): President Soeharto arrived here from Copenhagen yesterday for a three-day state visit which will be interrupted by a three-hour trip to Bosnia-Herzegovina today.
Soeharto was in Copenhagen for four days to attend the United Nations World Summit on Social Development and to hold talks with several Asian leaders.
In Zagreb yesterday, the President, who is accompanied by First Lady Tien Soeharto, was welcomed by Croatian Prime Minister Nikica Velentic at the international airport. There was no gun salute but the national anthems of both countries were played.
A military welcoming ceremony will be held today when Soeharto pays a call on President Franjo Tudjman at the Presidential Palace prior to the start of bilateral talks.
Nana Sutresna, the chief executive assistant to the Non- Alignment Movement (NAM) chairman, told The Jakarta Post that Soeharto, in his capacity as NAM chairman, would be seeking a peaceful solution to the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Soeharto's next step will depend on the outcome of his meeting with Croatian and Bosnian leaders.
Soeharto's entourage includes Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas; Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono; Nana Sutresna; chief of Indonesia's permanent representative office at the United Nations, Nugroho Wisnumurti; and Commander of the Armed Forces Gen. Feisal Tanjung, who joined the party over the weekend.
From the airport Soeharto and entourage were driven directly to the Intercontinental Hotel, where they will stay until tomorrow.
After a four-hour rest yesterday, the President and Mrs. Soeharto attended a film presentation at the hotel, had a meeting with Croatian parliamentary leaders at the parliament building and attended a dinner party hosted by Prime Minister Velentic at the Velce Palace.
Today, Soeharto is scheduled to hold talks with Tudjman at the Presidential Palace, where their ministers will hold a parallel meeting.
After those talks, Soeharto and the high-ranking Indonesian officials within his entourage will leave for Sajarevo by a United Nations airplane.
Concurrently, Mrs. Soeharto will meet with Ankica Tudjman at Villa Prekrizje and visit the SOS Children's Village.
According to Moerdiono, the UN peacekeeping forces in Bosnia have guaranteed the safety of President Soeharto and his party during their visit.
The Indonesian leader, who is also NAM's chairman, will try to get first-hand information about the situation in Bosnia, while looking for opportunities for the improvement of bilateral economic relations.
Moerdiono told Indonesian reporters traveling with Soeharto's party that it was likely that the President and his entourage would be transported from the Sarajevo airport to the Bosnian Presidential Palace by UN armored personnel carriers.
Soeharto will hold a half-hour tete-a-tete meeting with Bosnian President Aliza Ezerbegovic at the palace, followed by a 30-minute meeting between top Indonesian and Bosnian officials.
On the way back to the airport, Soeharto and his entourage will be given a tour of Sarajevo.
Returning to Zagreb, the President and Mrs. Soeharto will attend a state banquet hosted by Tudjman at Hotel Esplanaden.
In January, President Soeharto was host in Jakarta to Bosnian President Izerbegovic and Croatian Prime Minister Valentic. Bosnian Prime Minister Haris Silasdjzik was received by Soeharto in Jakarta in March 1994.
Yugoslavia, which has been dominated by only Serbia and Montenegro since 1992, was expelled by NAM, under Soeharto's leadership, in the same year. The former Yugoslavia was one of the founding members of the 111-nation movement.