Susilo set fir UN summit
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
A hectic schedule awaits President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono during his week-long visit to the U.S., where he will hold 40 meetings including meetings with several world leaders and top business executives.
Susilo and his entourage left Jakarta for New York late on Saturday night in his second official visit to the U.S. in the last three months that will end on Sept. 17.
The highlight of his trip will be his speech at the 2005 United Nations Summit at the UN headquarters on Sept. 16, where Susilo is expected to deliver a speech on Indonesia's position on UN reform.
Prior to the UN Summit, the President will attend the second leaders summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in New York.
On the sidelines of the summits, Susilo, who turned 56 on Friday, is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with a number of world leaders, such as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Australian Prime Minister John Howard, Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Sinawatra, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Iranian President Mahmood Ahmadinejad, Argentinian President Nestor Carlos Kirchner, Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and South African President Thabo Mbeki.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirajuda said earlier that the presidential office had to turn down invitations from other world leaders, who wished to hold bilateral meetings with Susilo.
"There is just not enough time," he said.
Hassan said that the President was not scheduled to hold a bilateral talk with U.S. President George Bush as they had met during Susilo's official trip to the country late in May.
Hassan and Cabinet Secretary Sudi Silalahi are among the high ranking government officials joining the trip.
However, Susilo will receive a courtesy call from the U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Susilo, who holds a doctorate in economics from the Bogor Institute of Agriculture, will receive an honorary doctorate in law from Webster University. He is slated to deliver a lecture at Webster University and at Columbia University.
Susilo, a retired army general, will also fly to Kansas for an event at the Army College at Fort Leavenworth. The alumni of the college is slated to receive an honorary certificate and an honorary alumnus certificate from the Army College.
The President is also scheduled to visit the New York Stock Exchange and address a seminar organized by the Indonesian Global Investment Forum.
American entrepreneurs, namely Kamie Dimon, president and CEO of JP Morgan Chase, chairman and CEO of General Electric Jeffrey R. Immelt, Viacom chairman Sumner Redstone and Texas Pacific Group founder and head of David Bonderman will have one-on-one meetings with Susilo.