Susilo to deliver 2005 ASEAN Lecture

Susilo to deliver 2005 ASEAN Lecture

JAKARTA: The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
Secretariat will hold the 2005 ASEAN Lecture on Monday in Jakarta
in conjunction with the 38th anniversary of ASEAN, the
secretariat said in Jakarta.

This year's lecture will be delivered by President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono.

The lecture, which aims to focus attention on strategic issues
of vital importance to ASEAN and at the same time enhance its
standing as an enabling and enriching catalyst for regional
solidarity, cooperation and development, was first introduced in
2003.

The inaugural lecture was given by former president Megawati
Soekarnoputri in 2003. Vietnam's Prime Minister Phan Van Khai
delivered the second ASEAN Lecture in 2004 in Hanoi. -- JP

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DIPLO- RI-DIPLOMATS
Indonesian diplomats told to expand connections
JP/10/DIPLO

Diplomats told
to focus on lobbying

JAKARTA: Political analyst Indria Samego urged Indonesian
diplomats stationed overseas on Tuesday to improve their lobbying
of various parties in a bid to help anticipate any stance hostile
to Indonesia.

"Our diplomats are not competent in lobbying, unlike foreign
diplomats stationed in Indonesia," said Indria who is also a
researcher at the Indonesian Institute of Science after attending
a discussion on the threat to disintegration and the role of the
Indonesian Military.

Indria said most Indonesian diplomats were not very skillful
in building contacts with various local circles and if they did
they were not maximizing them and tended to miss the point.

"I fear they do not have a good reason for making contacts or
they just do it to pick up guests at the airport," he said,
urging them to change their orientation by approaching as many
local figures or organizations as possible, including non-
governmental organizations.

"Like the foreign diplomats working here, who are close to
Adnan Buyung Nasution or Hidayat Nurwahid," Indria said,
referring to the noted lawyer and speaker of the People's
Consultative Assembly, respectively.

"They are close to nearly all circles here so that they are
informed of any new development that is connected with their
country and can immediately comment on it," he added. -- Antara