Portugal, RI agree to hold more talks

Portugal, RI agree to hold more talks

UNITED NATIONS (Agencies): Ambassadorial-level talks between
Indonesia and Portugal on the question of East Timor ended on
Thursday with an agreement to meet again in a few weeks. However,
no date was set for the next session.

"The delegations of the two governments will return to their
capitals and have agreed to resume the talks at a later date,"
said Jamseed Marker, special representative for United Nations
Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Marker, who chaired the talks, gave few details except to say
that the negotiations, which began on Monday, were constructive.
"I am an incurable optimist," he said.

"The talks were held in a very good atmosphere," Marker said.

He told reporters the new talks would be held "within weeks"
and again in New York, adding "It's a question of weeks ... We
are negotiating suitable dates, but it should be very soon. We
want to keep these things going."

The former Portuguese colony of East Timor was integrated as
part of Indonesia in 1976. The UN however still recognizes Lisbon
as the administrative authority there.

A source close to the talks said that no breakthrough was
anticipated at this stage, but said that "interesting" issues not
discussed previously were aired at the session.

Indonesia was represented by the foreign ministry's director
general of political affairs Nugroho Wisnumurti, while Portugal
sent Fernando Neves, its special envoy for East Timor.

Marker said on Wednesday that the Indonesian and Portuguese
delegations were far from reaching a solution to the dispute,
despite some progress.

After two days of talks at the United Nations in June, the
foreign ministers of Portugal and Indonesia agreed that senior
officials of the two sides would embark on intensive negotiations
on East Timor this summer.

UN-mediated talks between the foreign ministers of Indonesia
and Portugal have been continuing since 1983 with a goal of
finding an internationally acceptable solution to the problem.

Marker, a former Pakistani UN ambassador, also said he would
be traveling to South Africa shortly to brief President Nelson
Mandela, who has offered to help the United Nations with the
long-running dispute.

"I am waiting for the dates depending on President Mandela's
schedule," he said.

Several diplomats said Mandela's involvement was a positive
development as no government leader of his stature previously had
shown such interest in the Timor issue.

Mandela, they said, would be able to speak with authority to
heads of state and government as well as the Timorese.

The New York talks were slightly overshadowed by a diplomatic
incident between Portugal and South Africa, which recently joined
the search for a political settlement.

Pretoria expelled Portuguese Ambassador Vasco Valente for
leaking a letter by South African President Nelson Mandela to
Indonesian President Soeharto asking that East Timorese rebel
leader Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao be released.

Mandela met Gusmao in prison on July 15 with the approval of
President Soeharto, although the meeting was kept secret from the
public for a week.

In his letter, Mandela said the release of all political
leaders, including Gusmao, was necessary to "normalize the
situation in East Timor".

Marker declined to comment on the incident, adding only that
he would travel to meet with Mandela "as soon as it is
convenient".

Diplomats here emphasized the "complementary" nature of UN and
South African efforts.