Indonesia and Portugal to restore relations

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia and Portugal are on the brink of thawing out their diplomatic rivalry and resuming the ties broken over two decades ago.

Both Indonesian and Portuguese officials here on Thursday separately indicated that, barring unforeseen obstacles, the restoration of ambassador level ties would be a mere matter of weeks.

The resumption of ties has been widely expected to occur in the near future after Indonesia officially relinquished East Timor. Indonesian foreign minister Alwi Shihab and his Portuguese counterpart Jaime Gama last month agreed in principle to resume ties.

When asked, Alwi told The Jakarta Post on Thursday that there was no serious obstruction to restoring ties.

"(But) They must retract all the things which may have hampered diplomatic ties, including the resolution back then," he remarked.

"We will not be the one delaying the restoration of ties," he added, while underlining that Jakarta would not accept conditions being attached to restoring relations.

"It (restoring ties) could happen this month, but it will most likely be next year," Alwi remarked.

The two countries broke off ties when the former Portuguese colony of East Timor was integrated into Indonesia in 1976.

But all that changed following the Aug. 30 ballot in East Timor.

Separately, Portuguese envoy to Indonesia Ana Gomes seemed more upbeat on expeditiously resuming ties.

"We're ready and hope immediately to reestablish the relationship at the ambassadorial level this month," she said. However, the reestablishment depends on the Indonesian authorities, she added.

Gnomes further said that establishing ties at this current juncture was timely as Portugal is to assume the presidency of the European Union in January.

"So it will be in the interest of Portugal and of Indonesia to have diplomatic ties restored before that time," she said. (04)