Postponement of Gusmao's visit affects RI diplomacy<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari and Annastashya Emmanuelle, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Jakarta's decision to postpone the planned visit of East Timor
\nPresident Xanana Gusmao has indicated that there are still many
\nnarrow-minded Indonesian leaders who cannot accept the secession
\nof the former 27th province.<\/p>\n
Analyst on international affairs Soedjati Djiwandono said the
\nmove could affect the country's image in international diplomacy.<\/p>\n
\"I think it does not benefit our diplomacy,\" Soedjati told The
\nJakarta Post last night, adding that the move was a reflection of
\nthe narrow-mindedness of many leaders.<\/p>\n
Legislator Djoko Susilo of House Commission I for foreign
\naffairs thought the delay had been caused due to the lack of a
\nblueprint on the part of the government concerning Indonesia-East
\nTimor relations.<\/p>\n
The postponement was announced on Tuesday by foreign ministry
\nspokesman Marty Natalegawa, who said that Jakarta needed more
\ntime to make preparations and would seek a more suitable time.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs received notification from
\nEast Timor on May 22 -- only two days after Dili's independence
\ncelebration -- of the request for an official visit of Gusmao to
\nPresident Megawati Soekarnoputri.<\/p>\n
Gusmao was slated to arrive in Jakarta on Wednesday, May 29,
\nfor a two-day visit.<\/p>\n
Soedjati said the request was a sign of good will from Gusmao
\nto create neighborly relations.<\/p>\n
Instead of considering the new state as an \"enemy\", Indonesia
\nshould cooperate with the UN, Portugal and Australia to help East
\nTimor, he said.<\/p>\n
\"I think the international community will link it (the
\npostponement) to many objections in the past to Megawati's visit
\nto East Timor,\" Soedjati added.<\/p>\n
Soedjati suggested that the postponement had been made in
\nresponse to domestic pressure.<\/p>\n
Separately, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda
\ninsisted that the postponement was due to scheduling
\ntechnicalities and was not linked to House members signing a
\npetition to summon Megawati over her East Timor visit.<\/p>\n
\"We appreciate president Xanana Gusmao's intention to
\nprioritize his visit to Indonesia, but this (the postponement) is
\npurely a matter of scheduling,\" Hassan told reporters.<\/p>\n
Indonesia envisaged the possibility of rearranging Gusmao's
\nvisit after President Megawati had returned from her trip to
\nEurope later this month, he said.<\/p>\n
East Timor officially gained independence on the eve of May 20
\nat a modest ceremony led by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
\nGusmao was sworn in as the president of a nation that has a
\npopulation of about 750,000 people.<\/p>\n
At a hearing with House Commission 1, Hassan said that the
\ncountry would build good relations with the new state of East
\nTimor.<\/p>\n
He emphasized that relations with East Timor would be put
\nwithin a regional context, therefore involving the West and
\nSouthwest Pacific countries.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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