RI-Portugal friendly game sought<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia has suggested one of Portugal's top
\nsoccer teams comes here for a friendly match as part of the
\nefforts to help the two countries accelerate their talks on
\nrestoring diplomatic links.<\/p>\n
State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Agung Laksono said
\nyesterday he had extended the invitation to his Portuguese
\ncounterpart during an international ministerial meeting on youth
\naffairs in Lisbon recently.<\/p>\n
\"I also spoke to President Jorge Sampaio. I said that we
\nwanted one of Portugal's best soccer teams, either Benfica of
\nPorto FC, to play in Indonesia, hopefully not later than the end
\nof this year,\" Agung said.<\/p>\n
\"I hope this proposal will be responded to positively, because
\nwe basically have agreed to improve our bilateral relations.\"<\/p>\n
Jakarta and Lisbon froze diplomatic ties following the
\nintegration of East Timor, once a Portuguese colony, into
\nIndonesia in 1976.<\/p>\n
Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas and his Portuguese
\ncounterpart Jaime Gama agreed in United Nations-sponsored talks
\nin New York early this month to hold in-depth discussions on
\nIndonesia's proposals for \"special status, based on a wide-
\nranging autonomy\" for East Timor. (yan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ri-portugal-friendly-game-sought-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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