Indonesia, Pakistan seek Muslim Mideast initiative

JAKARTA, Jan 31 (Reuters) Muslim countries need to join together in a new initiative to resolve turbulence and violence in the West Asia the leaders of Indonesia and Pakistan said today.

''We reviewed the turmoil in Palestine, in Iraq, in Lebanon, in Afghanistan and we both have consonance of views in a requirement of a new initiative,'' Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf told a joint news conference in the lush grounds of the white-painted colonial-style Indonesian presidential palace.

Musharraf, who later flew to Malaysia for a meeting with Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, said such a grouping of ''like-minded'' Muslim nations would be listened to.

''Since the West is looking and searching for methods and new ideas of bringing peace to the region I think any new idea, any new initiative would be acceptable to them as long as it is workable,'' he said.

He did not elaborate on the group but said King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia was being consulted.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said that to achieve peace in the Middle East, ''we need to achieve greater dialogue and consultation and a role of like-minded Islamic countries''.

He said Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, planned to hold an international meeting of Ulemas, or Muslim clerics, to discuss conflicts in the Islamic world.

Last week, a Jakarta official said Indonesia wanted to hold a special meeting with Hamas this year aimed at helping end internal rifts between the Palestinian ruling group and other factions. Yudhoyono made no mention of this today.

Both leaders face pressure at home to take a bigger role in the West Asia.

''TIME FOR ACTION'' Musharraf said action was needed now. ''We both felt that the time has come for action and there is no room for complacency, because things are moving so fast, deteriorating so fast,'' he said.

Yudhoyono said that both Indonesia and Pakistan faced a similar threat from terrorism.

''We have to deal with this threat properly, not only directly combating the act of terrorism, but also addressing the root causes of terrorism,'' he said.

The two countries are important US allies in the so-called ''war on terror'', but have differences over some of Washington's policies, particularly in the West Asia.

Pakistan's foreign minister said Musharraf also discussed similar themes during his 90-minute meeting with Abdullah in Putrajaya, Malaysia's administrative capital.

''The idea was to discuss matters with like-minded countries, matters pertaining to the West Asia which have a bearing on terrorism, and also the situation in Iraq,'' Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri, who accompanied Musharraf, told Reuters.

''At the moment it is the question of brainstorming, discussing ideas and this was in continuation of the meeting the president just had with other countries,'' Kasuri said.

Abdullah, current chairman of the 57-member Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), made no comment after the talks.

Pakistan has come under increasing pressure from American and Afghan officials to do more in the fight against Islamist insurgents who have stepped up attacks on US and NATO forces in Afghanistan.

REUTERS BDP HT1952