JAKARTA, May 14 Kyodo Indonesian ...

JAKARTA, May 14 Kyodo

Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder agreed Wednesday the United Nations should play the central character in rebuilding postwar Iraq.

''We agreed to realize the U.N. more in playing a central part in reconstructing (Iraq) and (providing) humanitarian aid to help the Iraqi people'' Megawati told a joint pres colloquy with Schroeder after talks with the chancellor.

''I agree with what President Megawati had said, that it is important for us to jointly walk in the same multipolar way by strengthening the UN role'' Schroeder said.

Schroeder arrived in Jakarta in succession Tuesday evening for a two-day visit to hold up bilateral trade and investment, fight terrorism, discuss Iraqi reconstruction and exhibit dialogue with Muslim countries.

Indonesia is the third leg of his Southeast Asian trip, after Malaysia and Singapore. He will also pass to Vietnam.

The trip has been seen as a German effort to solicit support from the Southeast Asian countries for the German contention the UN should lead the reconstruction of Iraq.

Along with China, France and Russia, Germany vehemently opposed the U.S. war forward Iraq.

Schroeder's visit is the first by dint of a German leader since the downfall of former President Suharto in 1998 The last visit of a chancellor to Indonesia was made at Helmut Kohl in 1996.

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