Foreign Minister Ali Alatas said Friday Indonesia is ready to send a 100-person medical detachment to war-ravaged Bosnia-Herzegovina and pledged $5 million in financial support.
"We are ready to send a medical detachment of up to 100 people to Bosnia-Herzegovina," Alatas said, adding that the offers are now under study by the U.N. secretary-general.Alatas said that Indonesia, for purely technical reasons, was unable to fulfill the request by the U.N. secretary-general to send an Indonesian contingent consisting of one batallion of combat troops to Bosnia-Herzegovina, which would have been under the coordination of the United Nations.
Alatas said he had also received the official request from the U.N. secretary-general asking for Indonesia to send 20 military officers as observers, adding that the requests are now under study by the Defense and Foreign Affairs ministries and the armed forces.
Alatas also announced that Indonesia has pledged $5 million to the government of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
"In the context of showing our full solidarity and consistant policy stance with regard to development . . . especially the plight of the Bosnian Muslims, President Suharto has authorized the pledge of $5 million to the government of Bosnia-Herzegovina," Alatas said.