RI and Portugal agree to reestablish ties
RI and Portugal agree to reestablish ties
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia and Portugal agreed to step up
bilateral ties leading to the reestablishment of diplomatic
relations, which were severed in 1975 following East Timor's
integration into Indonesia.
Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab and his Portuguese counterpart
Jaime Gama issued a joint press communique in New York on
Saturday, after the first high-level talks between the two
governments since the recent political change in Indonesia.
"The ministers agreed that it would be of benefit to both
sides to intensify their bilateral contacts with a view to a
rapid normalization of relations between the Republic of
Indonesia and the Portuguese Republic, including the re-
establishment of diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level,"
the joint statement, which was made available to The Jakarta
Post, said.
Gama told reporters after the meeting the two countries would
likely resume diplomatic ties before the end of the year, Antara
reported.
He said his government had decided to appoint Ana Gomes,
currently the Portuguese envoy in Jakarta, to become the
country's ambassador to Indonesia.
Indonesia and Portugal broke off ties after East Timor, a
former Portuguese colony, was integrated into Indonesia in 1975,
shortly after Portugal had left the territory.
Indonesia agreed to a United Nations-sponsored ballot on Aug.
30, in which the East Timorese voted overwhelmingly for
independence from Jakarta.
The joint statement said East Timor was the subject of an
"intense and fruitful exchange" between the two ministers, who
discussed the "humanitarian aspects of the situation, namely
internally displaced persons and refugees".
Over 260,000 East Timorese fled into East Nusa Tenggara from
their homeland after the August ballot, which was followed by
rampaging violence.
In a related development, four out of more than 350 East
Timorese who have been sheltering at an orphanage in South
Sulawesi's capital of Makassar have died.
Nuraeni Achmad, the director of Kasih Ibu orphanage, said on
Saturday that the four people -- Jalaludin, 6, Yusuf, 50, Masito,
60, and Adam, 75 -- died on Nov. 8, Nov. 9 and Nov. 10
respectively.
Jalaludin had suffered from serious diarrhea while the other
three died of lung disease.
The refugees, who arrived on Oct. 9 from Atambua, are all East
Timorese Muslims. Sixty of the refugees are toddlers.
Nuraeni said the orphanage lacked funds to provide medicines.
"Rp 1,500 per day for each refugee from the former ministry of
social affairs was too little. We have no money to help the
refugees," she said, adding that more refugees might die soon.
Besides food and medicines, the refugees are also in need of
clothing, Nuraeni said.
"We hope for milk and food, because most of the children are
suffering from malnutrition," Nuraeni said.
Reliable sources said that the provincial administration had
yet to provide humanitarian assistance to the refugees.
(27/rms/sur)