Interfet, RI sign border deal

Interfet, RI sign border deal

MOTAAIN, East Nusa Tenggara (Reuters): Indonesia and the International Forces for East Timor (Interfet) on Wednesday signed a deal designed to prevent clashes on the sensitive Timor border.

The deal was signed by Maj. Gen. Peter Cosgrove, commander of the Interfet force, and Maj. Gen. Kiki Syahnakri, who heads the Udayana Military Command.

It was signed at the border village here, where an Indonesian policeman was killed in a border clash in October, shortly after the Australian-led international force arrived in East Timor.

Cosgrove said the agreement would be respected by a new United Nations peacekeeping force due shortly to replace Interfet.

"I would like to state our agreement with this document in front of us," said Syahnakri, the last Indonesian commander in East Timor.

Details of the agreement were not revealed, but Cosgrove has in the past called for the two sides to agree to use the same maps to avoid border misunderstandings.