Australia denies Timor oil treaty revoked by RI<\/p>\n
CANBERRA, Australia (AFP): Indonesia's suspension of naval
\nexercises off East Timor did not amount to a suspension of the
\nTimor Gap oil treaty with Australia, Foreign Minister Alexander
\nDowner said Thursday.<\/p>\n
The oil-rich Timor Gap lies off East Timor's south coast.
\nUnder the treaty Australia and Indonesia share oil revenue from
\nthe Timor Sea.<\/p>\n
Reports from Jakarta this week said Indonesia had frozen the
\nTimor Gap treaty because of a serious downturn in relations
\nbetween the two countries over East Timor.<\/p>\n
But Downer insisted the treaty between Indonesia and Australia
\nwas still valid.<\/p>\n
"Indonesia has not suspended or frozen the Timor Gap Treaty,"
\nhe told parliament.<\/p>\n
The suspension of naval exercises and patrols by Indonesia in
\nthe zone had absolutely no link to the Timor Gap Treaty, Downer
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
"The activities under the Timor Gap Treaty are exploration for
\nand production of petroleum resources. And those activities are
\nstill continuing and will continue even when East Timor separates
\nfrom Indonesia."<\/p>\n
Downer said the Australian government was now developing a
\ntransitional strategy for the shift of sovereignty over the gap
\nfrom Indonesia to East Timor.<\/p>\n
Australian officials said this week they had begun talks with
\nEast Timorese leaders over the Timor Gap treaty.<\/p>\n
An Australian-led multinational security force is now working
\nto restore stability in the territory ravaged by an Indonesian-
\nbacked terror campaign since it opted for independence in its
\nAugust 30 ballot.<\/p>\n
Australia's leading of the force and its criticism of human
\nrights abuses in the territory have prompted fierce accusations
\nof betrayal in Indonesia and Foreign Minister Ali Alatas has
\ndubbed relations between the two countries as being at an all-
\ntime low.<\/p>\n
Resistance leader Xanana Gusmao, who announced Thursday he
\nwould be returning to East Timor next week, told businessmen in
\nMelbourne on Monday that oil would be among its major exports
\nwhen it becomes independent.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian government said on September 7 that it was
\nfully prepared to cancel the treaty signed in 1989 with Australia
\nover oil and gas extraction rights in the sea between Timor and
\nAustralia.<\/p>\n
"That treaty was between the government of Indonesia and
\nAustralia, but because East Timor will in the future no longer be
\nIndonesian territory, for legal reasons, that treaty can no
\nlonger be implemented," Mines and Energy Minister Kuntoro
\nMangkusubroto said.<\/p>\n
The area in the Timor Sea covered by the treaty is believed to
\nhold hydrocarbon reserves worth some US$8billion but only around
\n$1.1 million worth of oil and gas was drawn from it last year.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/australia-denies-timor-oil-treaty-revoked-by-ri-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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