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JAKARTA: Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister S. Jayakumar has paid deep tribute to former Indonesian foreign minister, the late Ali Alatas.
As a keynote speaker at a special remembrance dinner in Jakarta to honour Mr Alatas, who died on December 11, Professor Jayakumar said Mr Alatas had made the most impact in ASEAN, which he tirelessly promoted.
Professor Jayakumar credited Mr Alatas for his immense contributions in promoting ASEAN integration and regional stability - citing his knack for forging consensus which helped ensure disagreements between ASEAN members never threatened to boil over.
Mr Alatas, Professor Jayakumar noted, made immense contributions towards the ASEAN Charter, in coming up with the initial document, dubbed the "Alatas draft" and meticulously amending it to incorporate fellow members' inputs.
As a foreign minister, Professor Jayakumar said Mr Alatas contributed significantly to the excellent state of bilateral relations between Indonesia and Singapore, always keeping relations on an even keel, even in difficult times.
He advanced Indonesia's interests surely and firmly, but at the same time always dealing with Singapore as a sovereign equal.
Professor Jayakumar said that even after retirement as foreign minister, Mr Alatas continued to advance the interests of Indonesia and of the region.
Besides serving as presidential advisor to two Indonesian presidents, Mr Alatas' name would invariably crop up when the United Nations sought special envoys to head challenging diplomatic missions, Professor Jayakumar said.
He told the audience, which included Mr Alatas' wife and Indonesian cabinet ministers, that he had "lost a close colleague, an esteemed counterpart and a dear friend of many years". - CNA/de
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