March 11, 2008

SBY starts 10-day foreign visit

Abdul Khalik , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono left Jakarta on Monday for Tehran on a 10-day state visit to Iran, Senegal, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.

Presidential spokesman Dino Patti Djalal told media at Jakarta's Halim Perdanakusuma airport the visit would include efforts to attract investors to Indonesia and to help resolve the Mideast conflict.

From Iran, Dino said Yudhoyono was scheduled to attend an Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) meeting in Senegal, before flying to South Africa.

Yudhoyono would then spend time in Dubai to encourage businesspeople there to invest in Indonesia, before returning to Jakarta on March 20, Dino said.

The President's visit to Tehran on Tuesday and Wednesday should see him meet with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and other senior Iranian officials before leaving for the OIC meeting.

In Iran, officials from both countries are scheduled to sign memorandums of understanding on cooperation in agriculture, education, cooperatives and energy.

Analysts said the President's Iranian visit was part of an ambiguous foreign policy toward the gulf country and the Western World.

Indonesia abstained from voting for a third resolution of the UN Security Council to punish Tehran for its nuclear enrichment program.

Dino said, "The Iranian visit aims to enhance bilateral relations, while the OIC meeting will focus on how member countries cooperate to help improve the lives of Muslims across the world".

"The President will deliver a special statement during the OIC meeting," he said.

Many observers said they were hopeful Indonesia would play a bigger role in the OIC, because the republic was the world's biggest Muslim nation and the most democratic member country of the Organization.

They urged Indonesia to take a leadership role within the OIC to help the world's Muslim population.

Yudhoyono is also scheduled to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Senegal to discuss recent developments in the conflict zone and to convey what Indonesia could do to help resolve the problems there, Dino said.

"The situation is still critical, especially with Israel continuing attacking the Gaza Strip," he said.

"The attacks have really disrupted the peace process.

"We will see what Indonesia can do to speed up the peace process during the OIC talks and bilateral meeting between both presidents," Dino said.

The Presidential entourage would include Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda and State Secretary Hatta Radjasa as well as a number of business people led by Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) chairman M.S. Hidayat.

From Senegal, the President is set to visit South Africa and the United Arab Emirates to enhance bilateral ties with both countries.

In Dubai, Dino said Yudhoyono would discuss Indonesia's business climate with local players there.

"So, the President will speak with them collectively or individually in the hope that we can attract them to invest in Indonesia.

"We have a list of business people's names to meet," Dino said.

Many, if not most investors from the Middle East invest in Europe or the U.S., with others attracted to certain Southeast Asian countries, Dino said.

Compared to Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia were currently more attractive destinations in Southeast Asia for Middle East investors and tourists, he said.