East Timor, Australia still apart after first round of sea border talks<\/p>\n
Agence France-Presse
\nDili<\/p>\n
East Timor on Friday accused Australia of dragging its feet in
\nnegotiations to settle their maritime border after a first round
\nof talks ended without any apparent agreement.<\/p>\n
Billions of dollars in offshore oil and gas revenues are at
\nstake in the talks, which began on Monday in the East Timor
\ncapital and wound up on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Australia wants to keep the border which was agreed with
\nJakarta after Indonesia invaded East Timor in 1975. This would
\ngive it the lion's share of reserves.<\/p>\n
East Timor, which became independent in 2002, says the border
\nshould lie at the mid-point between the two countries.<\/p>\n
Peter Galbraith, head of Dili's negotiating team, said
\nCanberra has proposed the next meeting be held in Australia in
\nSeptember even though East Timor wants monthly meetings.<\/p>\n
East Timor claims it is losing a million dollars a day due to
\nwhat it calls Australia's illegal exploitation of resources in a
\ndisputed area of the Greater Sunrise field.<\/p>\n
\"What is unfair is that is Australia has so far refused to
\nnegotiate in a manner that will bring a conclusion any time
\nsoon,\" Galbraith told a press conference.<\/p>\n
\"It has tried to block a court from considering it, and
\ncontinued to take resources found in the disputed area.\"<\/p>\n
He urged Canberra either to reverse its refusal to accept
\ninternational arbitration or to stop the exploitation until a
\nfinal agreement is reached.<\/p>\n
\"I can promise you that there is only one reason you try to
\nstay out of a court, and that is because you think you will lose
\nin court,\" Galbraith said.<\/p>\n
In March 2002 Australia withdrew from the International
\nTribunal for the Law of the Sea before the dispute reached the
\narbiter. East Timor Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri described this
\nat the time as \"a hostile act\".<\/p>\n
East Timor was Asia's poorest nation upon independence.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/east-timor-australia-still-apart-after-first-round-of-sea-border-talks-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }