Soeharto's visit to Sarajevo

Soeharto's visit to Sarajevo

President Soeharto's visit to Sarajevo is of a historic nature because it can be foreseen that it will be remembered for a long time to come and that it will have a long-lasting and positive impact. The impact of the visit is that it will strengthen the determination of all the parties who have been making efforts at finding a peaceful settlement in that country. Those efforts, which have involved the United Nations and countries of Western Europe, Russia, the United States and other countries, have encountered chronic ups-and-downs. Therefore, new enthusiasm is very much needed.

The conflict is located in Europe, but the countries that are involved -- the former Yugoslavian states Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia -- are members of the Non-Aligned Movement. It is natural for the Non-Aligned Movement to take an interest and to feel concerned. That was the message conveyed by President Soeharto as chairman of the Movement.

As the President of Indonesia, whose population is predominantly Moslem, feelings of sympathy and solidarity among Moslems is also present in President Soeharto's mission. In this dimension it is not only Indonesia's feelings of sympathy and solidarity which the President expressed in Sarajevo, but also the feelings of sympathy and solidarity of Moslems in other countries.

In order to make an impact and for the results of that visit to be even greater and more lasting, follow-up measures are needed. It is time that the non-western countries make a greater contribution to the finding of solutions of conflicts, the nature of which makes it too tough for the western countries to solve.

-- Kompas, Jakarta