Alatas in East Timor

DILI, East Timor: Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas began his two-day visit here yesterday to deliver the province's 1997/1998 development budget to the provincial administration.

In Jakarta, the ministry's spokesman Ghaffar Fadyl was quoted by Antara as saying yesterday that Alatas and his entourage were staying at the Mahkota hotel in Dili.

Alatas will meet local officials and visit the Christ the King Statue in Fatucama bay, eight kilometers east of Dili, and other parts of the province.

Alatas, who has attended several meetings with his Portuguese counterpart on the Portuguese former colony, once said: "Never has a day gone by without me thinking about East Timor."

Alatas visited the province in 1992, 1995 and earlier this year. (33/swe)