Aussie sets back Timor talk

Aussie sets back Timor talk

DARWIN, Australia (AP): Talks on dividing production from oil fields under the sea separating Australia and East Timor may not be completed ahead of a crucial mid-July deadline after Canberra raised new issues, a negotiator for East Timor said Wednesday.

U.S. diplomat Peter Galbraith, who has been appointed by the United Nations to negotiate on East Timor's behalf, declined to detail the issues.

Negotiations are due to resume next week in Canberra.

"We were close to reaching and agreement; we had a text of which only a couple of items were unresolved and there was a path to resolve them," Galbraith told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio.

"But since then, some new issues have been introduced by the Australian side and that's making it more difficult," he said.

Galbraith confirmed Australia's offer to East Timor of a 85-15 revenue split from the oil reserves was one issue that had been on track to resolution. East Timor wants a 90-10 split.