Indonesian newspapers write about Lukashenka's visit on pages 12 and 14

26/03/2013 - 15:03

Alyaksandr Lukashenka spent the whole last week in the Southeast Asia: first, in Indonesia - March 18-28, then in Singapore - March 20-23. The Belarusian delegation of 80 people headed by the state leader presented economic issues in the region, the newspapers of which confess that nobody even knows such a country here - Belarus!

"Maybe there are a lot of people in Indonesia who don't know where Belarus is, - Jakarta Post wrote last June, - Still, this country claims strategic need for Indonesia, the biggest economy in the Southeast Asia, and opens an Embassy in Jakarta".

By the way, Jakarta Post has become almost the only Indonesian newspaper with the turnout of 250,000,000 copies, which wrote at least something about this year’s visit of Lukashenka. Two articles appeared in JP on the 12th and 14th pages, respectively! That did not stop the ONT journalist Alyaksandr Zlobin to show the newspapers on air in the program “Kontury”:

"The leading Indonesian newspapers and numerous posters in Jakarta avenues have informed the people that Indonesia has a new partner from now on".

Also, the "leading national newspaper" Jakarta Post has told the Indonesians about some interesting facts of the Belarus-Indonesia goods turnover.

Jakarta Post: "Bilateral trade between Indonesia and Belarus - the Eastern European country with no access to the sea, squeezed between Russia and the EU - has made $90,46 million. It has decreased by 44,4% in comparison with the record-breaking year 2011, when it made $163,02 million, according to the Indonesian statistics. However, the Belarusian statistics claimed that the bilateral goods turnover in 2011 made $220 million”.

The same number - $220 million - is given in the ONT report. Surely, they are specialists in calculating in Belarus!

Euroradio has found one more publication about the meeting between Alyaksandr Lukashenka and the President of Indonesia, in the newspaper JakartaGlobe. That's all!

On March 20-23, Belarus was "trading face' in Singapore. Businessmen and officials headed by Alyaksandr Lukashenka held various negotiations for the whole three days. On March 22 they conducted a pompous event - the Belarusian-Singaporean business forum.

On March 21, the portal AsiaOne published a short news article about Lukashenka's visit to Singapore. However, it did not concern any economic agreement, but the cancellation ofvisas for holders of Belarusian and Singaporean diplomatic passports.

The website Channel NewsAsia.com also published a preview of the business forum. They quoted the President of Singapore. However, he speaks not about business, but about science, music and... dances!

Tony Tan: "Belarusian universities and scientific-research institutes are well known by their scientific and technical capacity and offer opportunities for research and development of cooperation. There is also great potential for cultural cooperation, taking into consideration Belarus' rich traditions in the sphere of culture and arts, in particular, music and dances."

8 memorandums and 11 agreements on intentions were signed at the forum. Minister of Economics Mikalaj Snapkou gives comments to the ONT TV-channel. Meanwhile, Singaporean media do not say a word about Belarusians after March 22.

There are not so many major newspapers in Singapore. On March 23, Today reports on the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Moscow. As for the visit of Alyaksandr Lukashenka to Singapore, which ended the day before – not a word.

There's nothing in the newspaper The Business Times either. It is weird that the newspaper with such a name misses an important event like the Belarusian-Singaporean business forum.

The Singaporean newspaper The Straits Times writes on March 20 about Obama's visit to Israel, possible visit of the Pope to Australia and that Queen Elizabeth II will have a walk with Prince William's wife Kate Middleton after discharge from hospital. As for Alyaksandr Lukashenka's visit to Singapore - nothing! This is weird.