Logging Activities
[Indonesian Foreign] Ministry hopes Asian-African envoys` meeting with Papua officials to bear fruit
By The Jakarta Post
May 27, 2008, 11:58

[Indonesian Foreign] Ministry hopes Asian-African envoys` meeting with Papua officials to bear fruit

http://www.antara.co.id/en/arc/2008/5/24/ministry-hopes-a-a-envoys-meeting-with-papua-officials-to-bear-fruit/

24 May 2008

[FWPC (UK) comment: The Jakarta Post reported on Thursday that "The delegation consists of envoys from Azerbaijan, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Iran, Algeria, Libya, Sudan, South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe."

But Antara only mentions South Africa, Sri Lanka, Libya, Mozambique, Iran, Algeria, Azerbaijan and Pakistan. Maybe Indonesia is ashamed to have the al-Bashir regime of Sudan & the Mugabe regime of Zimbabwe as allies?]

Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA News) - The [Indonesian] Foreign Affairs Ministry hopes that the results of meetings that took place in Papua recently between the envoys of eight Asian-African countries and local government officials will duly be followed up with concrete actions, a ministry official said.

The ministry`s director for diplomatic security, Dr Sujatmiko, made the statement here on Thursday in comment on the meetings the eight foreign ambassadors had held with Papua provincial and Jayapura district government officials in Jayapura on May 21 and in Sentani on May 22.

"We do hope there will be real followups on the meetings as they discussed many things, including opportunities to cooperate in the fields of trade, mining and tourism," he said.

The eight foreign ambassadors were G.M. Memela of South Africa, Nanda Mallawara of Sri Lanka, Salaheddin M. El Bishari of Libya, Gerarldo Chirinza of Mozambique, Behrooz Kamalvandi of Iran, Hamzah Yahia of Algeria, Ibrahim A.Hajinez of Azerbaijan and Ali Baz Khan of Pakistan.

He said the followup actions were expected to provide a significant impetus to the regional economy in Papua and also spur the local people to participate more actively in efforts to increase their income, mainly through entrepreneurship.

Meanwhile, the head of the foreign ministry`s team that had facilitated the eight foreign envoys` visit to Papua, M Asruchin, said their meetings with the Papua regional authorities were "preliminary" in nature in the sense that they were held to give the diplomats a better insight into Papua`s economic potentials.

"The foreign ministry has facilitated their visit in Papua to give them a chance to communicate and exchange views directly (with local authorities) on how to develop the potentials for cooperation between Papua and the eight Asia and African nations," he added.

He said at the meetings, South African Ambassador G.M. Memela offered cooperation in the field of tourism, Iranian Ambassador Kamalvandi cooperation to set up a hydropower plant while the other envoys offered cooperation in the fields of mining and agriculture.

"What matters now is that both the Papua provincial administration and Jayapura district administration should take followup steps, directly or through the foreign ministry. The ministry is always ready to facilitate cooperation between any region in Indonesia and any foreign country," he said.

On the ambassadors` request for a security gurantee and investment licenses in Papua, Asruchin said these matters should be handled through coordination between the central and provincial administrations.

"The foreign ministry`s brief is looking for business partners in and cooperation opportunities with other countries as part of Indonesia`s external diplomacy to strengthen the pillars of the unitary state of the Repubic of Indonesia and improve the people`s welfare in the regions," he added. (*)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Jakarta Post

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Envoys explore business opportunities in Papua

Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura

Envoys from 11 countries in Asia, the Middle East and Africa on Wednesday began meetings with Jayapura government agencies to discuss investment opportunities in this remote resource-rich province of Papua.

Nine Ambassadors, one counselor and one first secretary are amongst those gathered in Indonesia's easternmost province. The government plans to transform it from a least developed area to an investment destination, leading to potential export-import opportunities.

It was the first visit to Papua for all the envoys.

M. Asruchin, Foreign Ministry director for South and Central Asian affairs, said the meeting was to allow foreign envoys a glimpse of the mineral-rich Papua. The province is frequently associated with extreme poverty and political unrest amid the presence of a tiny rebel separatist movement.

"The idea was to promote Papua via these foreign envoys, so that hopefully concrete economic relations will ensue. Apart from that, we thought bringing them to Papua would counter preconceptions they might have from news reports or critical nongovernmental agencies," Asruchin said.

The envoys appeared enthusiastic during the meeting with Papua's provincial secretary and the local branch of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry as they raised questions on infrastructure programs and plans for improved communications.

Papua is approximately seven hours by plane from Jakarta.

"I thought it was very interesting. My major question about Papua before I came here was how the small villages here are linked because it's important for investors to see how the villages grow together rather than separately," said Maj. Gen.(ret.) Ali Baz, Pakistan's ambassador to Indonesia.

He said Pakistan imported a number of wood-based products from Indonesia, which could be from Papua, adding that Pakistan was an important producer of asphalt and cement which were needed in Papua.

The fact that Papua's underdeveloped infrastructure is poor might not necessarily make the region less attractive for investors, said the Indian Embassy's economic and commercial counselor Manika Jain

"Papua is rich in natural resources. That's enough reason for investors to come in. I brought two potential investors here today from an Indian company, and they're interested to look at what Papua has to offer," she said.

Jain added that what Papua lacked was promotion since many potential foreign investors were not familiar with Papua as a mineral-rich region.

Ibrahim A. Hajiyev, the Azerbaijani Ambassador to Indonesia, added that the fact that some areas were still restricted to foreigners should not deter new investment.

"I think that's an issue that will go away in the future," he said.

The delegation also posed questions about plans to establish direct links between Papua and neighboring countries such as Singapore or Malaysia given Papua's vision to become a tourist destination

The delegation said that with current flight limitations, foreigners preferred staying in Jakarta or going to Bali.

On Thursday the delegation will meet with Jayapura officials for a presentation on what Jayapura, Papua's capital and most developed area, has to offer investors.

The delegation consists of envoys from Azerbaijan, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Iran, Algeria, Libya, Sudan, South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Richard Samuelson
Free West Papua Campaign, Oxford, UK.
www.freewestpapua.org



© Copyright by w@tchPAPUA