Jakarta and Dili 'should develop trade ties'

Jakarta and Dili 'should develop trade ties'

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia and East Timor should develop trade
relations for their mutual benefit, head of the United Nations
Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) said on
Tuesday.

Speaking to journalists after meeting President Abdurrahman
Wahid, Sergio de Mello said that the most important item on his
economic agenda was the trade relations between East Timor and
Indonesia.

"I think both sides have interests in developing trade
relations," de Mello said.

"There is a lot of potential ... we have great demands while
Indonesia and other countries of the region have a lot to offer
and we want Indonesia to be given a fair chance," he added.

De Mello said, however, that to support healthy trade
relations the two first needed to agree on many things, including
technicalities, customs and immigration.

He said that "a win-win solution" should be sought to bridge
the existing differences and problems between the two countries.

"This is why we proposed last month the establishment of a
joint border commission," he said.

De Mello added that during his meeting with the president,
they had also discussed the prospect of having East Timorese
students back in Indonesian universities.

"I know that there are some reservations here and there, but
this is the best investment that we can jointly make on the
future relations between the two countries.

"Their only chance to continue their higher education is
here," he said, adding that Jakarta had offered 162 scholarships
for East Timorese students.

Earlier on Tuesday, de Mello met with Foreign Affairs Minister
Alwi Shihab.

Later in the day, de Mello met with Attorney General Marzuki
Darusman and told reporters after the meeting that a team from
the Attorney General's Office would be dispatched to East Timor
within three weeks to investigate last year's violence in the
former Indonesian province. (01/byg/prb/dja)