UN envoy on E. Timor meets Soeharto, Alatas<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): United Nations special envoy for East Timor
\nJamsheed Marker, on his first day of a two-week mission here,
\nknuckled straight down to work yesterday, paying a courtesy call
\non President Soeharto and holding talks with Minister of Foreign
\nAffairs Ali Alatas.<\/p>\n
\"I am here on a fact-finding mission,\" Marker told journalists
\nafter meeting with Soeharto. His visit to the President at his
\nresidence on Jl. Cendana, Central Jakarta, was sandwiched between
\ntwo sessions of talks with Alatas at the foreign ministry
\nbuilding.<\/p>\n
Marker said he was to gather as much information as possible
\nfrom both sides, Jakarta and Lisbon, and report back to UN
\nSecretary-General Kofi Annan.<\/p>\n
Annan appointed Marker as a special envoy earlier this year to
\nhelp expedite and find an internationally acceptable solution to
\nthe East Timor question.<\/p>\n
The UN secretary-general's office has sponsored talks between
\nthe Indonesian and Portuguese foreign ministers since 1983 but
\nnot much progress has been made.<\/p>\n
The former Portuguese colony of East Timor was integrated into
\nIndonesia in 1976. Nevertheless, the UN still recognizes Lisbon
\nas the administrative power there.<\/p>\n
Earlier this month Marker visited Lisbon on a similar mission.<\/p>\n
\"The main thing is that the dialog continues.<\/p>\n
\"We have to find means of ensuring not only that the dialog
\ncontinues, but that it is also productive,\" Marker, who was once
\nPakistan's ambassador to the UN, said yesterday.<\/p>\n
Indonesia and Portugal have held eight rounds of talks under
\nthe aegis of the UN secretary-general.<\/p>\n
Marker will go to East Timor tomorrow for a three-day stay.<\/p>\n
Foreign minister Alatas said yesterday the President welcomed
\nMarker's visit and hoped that through it the UN envoy could gain
\nfirst hand information on the situation in East Timor.<\/p>\n
Alatas said he would probably hold talks with Marker again at
\nthe end of his trip on March 30.<\/p>\n
While in Indonesia, Marker is also scheduled to take a brief
\nholiday on Bali.<\/p>\n
Marker's arrival here comes on the heels of a two-day visit to
\nEast Timor by United States Assistant Secretary for Democracy,
\nHuman Rights and Labor John Shattuck.<\/p>\n
Shattuck ends his visit to the province today.<\/p>\n
Yesterday, he met separately with Governor Abilio Jose Osorio
\nSoares and East Timor Armed Forces Commander Col. Mahidin
\nSimbolon to discuss the latest developments in the province.<\/p>\n
Shattuck said his visit to Indonesia was part of the political
\nconsultation process between Jakarta and Washington.<\/p>\n
\"The purpose of this visit is to emphasize the importance that
\nthe U.S. places on the positive discussion under the auspices of
\nthe UN secretary-general,\" he said. (33\/mds)<\/p>",
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