Jakarta awaits report on EU aid to East Timor

Jakarta awaits report on EU aid to East Timor

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia welcomes and awaits further reports on
the European Union plan to send development aid directly to East
Timor, Antara quoted an official saying yesterday.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Ghaffar Fadhyl said
that, in principle, Indonesia welcomes all aid aimed at improving
the welfare of East Timorese, but wants to be consulted
beforehand.

"All foreign aid has to be channeled in accordance with
existing procedures," Ghaffar said.

Ghaffar's was a softer stance than that of Indonesian
ambassador to Brussels, Poedji Koentarso. In a letter to Irish
Foreign Minister Dick Spring, whose country is currently European
Union president, Poedji urged the Union not to interfere in East
Timor.

Poedji warned that European measures there could have "grave
repercussions".

Concrete proposal

"The advocacy of the European Union for concrete proposals
could have grave consequences that could exacerbate, rather than
serve, the cause of East Timor," Poedji wrote, reported Reuters.

The ambassador said any EU proposals, which an Irish diplomat
said would focus on development projects such as building primary
schools, could jeopardize current tripartite talks on East Timor
between Portugal, Indonesia and the United Nations.

"Outside intervention...may serve the interests of Portugal
but could undermine, with grave repercussions, the very principle
of the talks," the letter said.

At a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, Portugal
invited the European Commission, the Union's executive arm, to
draw up concrete proposals for development aid to East Timor,
which has a population of some 900,000.

In a brief statement EU foreign ministers expressed support
for the tripartite talks, scheduled to resume next month, and
said they hoped there would be tangible progress.

Lisbon has suggested the EU could help fund projects to
improve drinking water supplies and, more controversially, to
promote indigenous East Timorese culture in schools.

Irish sources said the ministers had ignored the Indonesian
protest. "The reply to the letter was given when the ministers
agreed to mandate the commission to draft proposals," one said.
(swe)