Indonesia to discuss Timor Gap with Australia and East Timor
Indonesia to discuss Timor Gap with Australia and East Timor
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Foreign Affairs Minister Hassan Wirayuda said on Friday that
Indonesia wanted to discuss the Timor Gap sea boundary with East
Timor and Australia in the upcoming tripartite meeting in
Denpsar, Bali on Feb. 25.
Speaking to journalists after meeting President Megawati
Soekarnoputri, Hassan said that Indonesia would like to reach an
agreement on the sea border with the two countries to minimize
potential disputes in the future.
"The President has sent strong messages that we have to settle
the discussion of our borders, sea or land, with our neighboring
countries, to avoid possible problems in the future," Hassan
said.
However, the minister said the discussion would not delve into
the issue of Timor Gap oil exploration "since the location is not
part of Indonesia's territory."
"There are misperceptions among many, who say that we still
have should have a share in the Timor Gap exploration, but
actually the Timor Gap is not a part of Indonesia. So it should
only be discussed between East Timor and Australia," Hassan said.
The Timor Gap is said to be rich in mineral resources. Before
East Timor voted to reject Jakarta's autonomy offer in a United
Nations-administered ballot in 1999, Indonesia and Australia
jointly managed the gap. Shortly after the tiny territory opted
for independence, Australia and East Timor entered into a new
agreement on the Timor Gap.
The Gap is believed to be rich in oil and natural gas, and
prompted Canberra to say last year that the future of the Timor
sea development would be the "economic salvation" of East Timor.
Indonesia and Australia signed the Timor Gap deal in December
1991 and appointed 11 oil companies from around the world to
explore the site.
Several oil and gas companies, however, have threatened to
stop exploration of the area because of complex diplomatic, tax
and legal obstacles resulting from confusion over the sea
boundary and the fact that previous Timor Gap pacts with
Indonesia had to be renegotiated after the 1999 independence
vote.
According to Hassan, Indonesia sent an official letter to
Australia in early 2000 annulling the Timor Gap agreement as the
territory was no longer part of Indonesia.
"What we can do now is only determine the sea boundary of the
Timor Gap, on the east and west side, but not about the
exploration of oil," Hassan said.
The minister said the coming meeting would review the current
temporary border between Indonesia and East Timor and find
certain ocean lines to separate the two countries.
Hassan also said after the tripartite meeting, Indonesia would
host an international conference on the illegal migrants in Bali.
So far 30 countries have confirmed their participation in the
conference.
"The illegal migrant conference will be on Feb. 27, after the
tripartite meeting," the minister said.