U.S. seeking to help RI

U.S. seeking to help RI

JAKARTA (JP): The United States has great interest in
Indonesia resolving its economic crisis because of the country's
pivotal role in Southeast Asia, a leading Indonesian business
figure said on Friday.

Tony Agus Ardie of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and
Industry (Kadin) told a news conference that economic collapse in
the country would adversely affect the Southeast Asian economy, a
major market for American goods.

"The U.S. therefore is greatly helping Indonesia, directly or
through the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, to get
out of the current economic recession," Tony said.

Tony spoke to reporters after he was unanimously reelected
chairman of the Kadin United States Committee for 1998 to 2003.

He added that many American companies were interested in
developing agrobusiness in joint ventures with medium-scale
enterprises.

"Due to the huge foreign debt overhang of Indonesian
conglomerates, foreign investors, including those in the United
States, now prefer to deal with medium-scale companies."

The Kadin U.S. Committee, known by its local acronym KIKAS,
is a forum of communications and consultancies for promoting
Indonesia-American business relationships. The forum provides top
priority to small and medium-scale businesses and cooperatives.