SBY to visit Middle East, Senegal
Desy Nurhayati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sat, 03/08/2008 12:10 PM
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will travel to Iran, Senegal and Dubai from March 10 to 16 to foster cooperation with Middle East countries and attend the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) meeting in Senegal.
Presidential spokesman Dino Patti Djalal said Thursday Yudhoyono would be in Iran on March 10-11 to meet with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries.
"President Yudhoyono will discuss ways to develop cooperation in trade, energy and agriculture, and will witness the signing of several agreements," he said.
Yudhoyono and Ahmadinejad, he said, would also discuss the newly adopted UN resolution that imposed further sanctions on Iran for refusing to suspend its nuclear program.
"I have yet to confirm what the President will offer in his talk with President Ahmadinejad, but our country's stance will definitely not change. We will continue to support Iran in developing its uranium enrichment program for peace and to strengthen its cooperation with the IAEA transparently."
He said Indonesia's opposition to Iran in the previous 1747 resolution and abstention from the recent UN Security Council vote would not harm the relationship between the two countries.
On March 12, the President will attend the 11th OIC summit in Senegal, titled "The Challenges for Ummah in the 21st Century", with delegations from 57 OIC member countries.
Dino said the summit was aimed at reaching an agreement among OIC members on the revision of OIC charter.
"Indonesia expects that the OIC revitalization will improve responses from member countries in coping with the challenges and issues Muslims are facing, as well as fostering relations among the members," he said.
While in Senegal, he said, the President would also hold bilateral talks with Sudan, Bangladesh, Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan.
The last stop on the President's trip will be Dubai on March 15-16 to meet with Middle East investors. Dino did not provide details on the agenda.
