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.