U.S. government awaits Megawati's visit

U.S. government awaits Megawati's visit

JAKARTA (JP): The United States government has invited
President Megawati Soekarnoputri to go ahead with her planned
visit at the invitation of President George W. Bush.

In a release made available to The Jakarta Post on Thursday,
the U.S. Embassy reaffirmed that the visit would go ahead as
scheduled.

"Following close consultation between the Indonesian and
American governments, we are pleased to reaffirm that the visit
of President Megawati will take place as planned, including her
Sept. 19 meeting with President George W. Bush," the embassy
said.

However, the Indonesian government has yet to formally respond
to the statement.

It is also not clear whether the President will continue on to
Japan as originally planned. However, a source told the Post that
the visit would go ahead.

An official at the foreign ministry told the Post that foreign
minister Hassan Wirayuda had received formal notification on
Megawati's trip from U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Robert Gelbard
on Thursday evening.

"But the formal announcement on the government's response to
the U.S. statement will be given after the Cabinet meeting on
Friday," the official said.

Megawati was scheduled to leave for the U.S. on Sept. 17 and
for Japan on Sept. 26, but the plan was put on hold when
terrorist attacks occurred in New York and Washington on Tuesday.

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has suspended a
planned one-week trip through Southeast Asia in order to deal
with the tragedy in the United States, the foreign ministry said
on Thursday as quoted by Associated Press.

Koizumi was scheduled to visit Indonesia as part of his
Southeast Asia tour on Sept. 16, the first visit to Southeast
Asia since he took office in April.

A ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said
Koizumi had to deal with the attacks in the United States,
including ascertaining the whereabouts of 22 missing Japanese.

However, State Secretary/Cabinet Secretary Bambang Kesowo said
that the government had yet to receive official notification of
Koizumi's cancellation.

"I have only received informal notification from the minister
of foreign affairs. We have yet to receive official
notification," Bambang said.

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad also canceled a
planned trip to Europe following the attacks in the U.S.

Earlier, foreign minister Hassan Wirayuda said the government
would wait for confirmation within the next two days concerning
Megawati's trip.

He further revealed that Eric Samadikun Hartono was the only
confirmed Indonesian fatality of the terrorist attack, saying
other Indonesians working at the World Trade Center were
reportedly safe.

Hassan also reiterated Indonesia's commitment to fighting
cross-border terrorism, and that the country was willing to share
information on terrorism activities and in improving intelligence
abilities in dealing with the issue. (dja)