Indonesia and Portugal to restore relations

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)