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