Ministerial delegation to visit East Timor

Ministerial delegation to visit East Timor

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

In a sign of good will to build a good relationship with the new
state of East Timor, a high-powered delegation is leaving for
Dili on Friday to discuss various bilateral issues.

Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno said after a meeting
with Vice President Hamzah Haz on Thursday that he would lead a
team of six ministers for a one-day working visit to the
country's former province.

"The visit is an expression of the Indonesian government's
good will to maintain a good relationship with East Timor," Hari
said during a press briefing.

The visit may be viewed as another expression of defiance by
President Megawati Soekarnoputri against the House of
Representatives (DPR) which has planned to summon her for
participating in East Timor's independence celebration on May 20.

Other ministers who will visit East Timor on Saturday are
Minister of National Education Abdul Malik Fajar, Minister of
Industry and Trade Rini Soewandi, Minister of Energy and Mineral
Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro, Minister of Transportation Agum
Gumelar and Minister of Social Affairs Bachtiar Chamsyah.

The delegation will hold a meeting with East Timor President
Xanana Gusmao, Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri and other ministers.

According to Hari, the visit would focus on economic relations
between the two countries as Indonesia was planning to take the
lead in trade and other economic sectors in the former Portuguese
colony.

The ambitious efforts seem natural as East Timor is surrounded
by Indonesia.

Minister Purnomo said Indonesia had electricity and fuel
installations in East Timor which would facilitate the possible
sale of energy there.

"We can put to maximum use the installations by selling energy
and fuel to East Timor," Purnomo said, adding that his department
was still registering the number of installations still intact
there.

Minister Rini, meanwhile, said that Indonesia would try to
boost trade volume between the two countries which currently
stands at between US$3 million to US$5 million.

"We control mostly household products and we are aiming at
further cooperation in coffee trading," Rini said.

The visit would also discuss lingering issues such as East
Timor refugees in makeshift camps in West Timor, borders, and
Indonesian assets in the territory.

Asked if the visit would open new confrontation with the
House, Hari said there was no reason for another conflict as the
visit was still within the constitutional mandate of keeping good
relations with neighboring countries.

"The Vice President told us that we should not be too
emotional about the past," Hari said.

East Timor was Indonesia's 27th province for more than two
decades until 1999 when its population voted to breakaway from
the country in a United Nations-organized referendum.

Despite strong opposition from legislators, Megawati went to
East Timor on May 19 to attend the country's declaration of
independence early May 20.

Some lawmakers submitted in May a petition to House leaders to
force Megawati to explain her participation in East Timor's
independence celebration.