Abdurrahman to visit Portugal
Abdurrahman to visit Portugal
JAKARTA (JP): In a sign of improving relations between Jakarta
and Lisbon, Portugal's visiting Foreign Minister Jaime Gama said
on Friday that President Abdurrahman Wahid had agreed to visit
the country later this year.
The visit is expected to occur in September.
"I have the honor to convey the Portuguese President's
invitation to President Wahid to pay an official visit to
Portugal this year ... and the invitation has been accepted,"
Gama told reporters after a 30-minute meeting with Abdurrahman at
the presidential palace.
Gama said that the two countries, which froze relations when
Indonesia integrated the former Portuguese colony of East Timor
in 1976, had "a good prospect for bilateral relations".
"We want to make the East Timor issue no longer a matter of
deep emotion but a matter of sound cooperation between Portugal
and Indonesia," Gama said after meeting Minister of Defense
Juwono Sudarsono.
"The remaining problems (concerning East Timor) must be solved
and the international community must also help," he said
referring to more than 100,000 East Timorese refugees who are
still sheltering in West Timor since the Aug. 30 independence
vote.
"I was referring to the problems of refugees and the remaining
problem of disbanding the militia," he added, referring to pro-
Jakarta East Timorese militia that went on a rampage of violence
and destruction after the overwhelming vote for independence.
"I know that the Indonesian president and the government are
dedicated to a correct solution and I very much hope it would be
realized because it is essential.
"But I'm optimistic regarding a good relationship between
Indonesia, an independent East Timor and Australia because good
neighborly relations are essential for peace and stability in
Asia," he said.
Gama added that Lisbon would soon appoint a defense attache
for its embassy here "in order to contribute to a better
understanding between our two armed forces".
Earlier on Friday, after what he described as "very good"
talks with his counterpart Alwi Shihab, Gama said much work
remained on such agreements as avoidance of double taxation and
investment protection between Lisbon and Jakarta.
He added that he hoped the agreements, including one on
cultural exchange, could be signed during Abdurrahman's visit to
Portugal.
Gama also invited Alwi to a meeting of European Union foreign
ministers in Luxembourg on June 14. Portugal currently holds the
EU's rotating presidency. (byg/dja/prb)