PRESIDENT RECEIVES U.S CONGRESSMAN ENI FALEOMAVAEGA
`The Jakarta Post - July 07, 2007JAKARTA(Antara): President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyonoreceived Eni Faleomavaega, chairperson of the U.S. Congress's Subcomittee on Asia and Pacific, at his office at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday.
Accompanied by his several members of staff, Faleomavaega came to the presidential office together with Foreign Affairs Minister Hassan Wirajuda and Papua Governor Barnabas Suebu.
Presidential spokesman Dino Patti Djalal said Faleomavaeqa was received by the president a few hours after he had met with three other U.S. Congress members.
"Faleomavaega met the president not in his capacity as a U.S. Congress member but as chairperson of the U.S. Congress's Subcomittee on Asia and Pacific," he said.
Asked whether Papua-related issues were discussed at the president's meeting with Faleomavaega, Dino said he did not know.
"One thing that is sure is that Faleomevaega's visit here has changed his views about Indonesia. It has made him realize this country is so vast and complex it cannot be reduced by the Papua issue," he said.
Dino said Faleomavaega was known as a US Congress member who often commented on the Papuan issue but now he had changed his views. "He now sees that Papua is inalienable part of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia," he said.
Source: The Jakarta Post -- www.thejakartapost.com