RI-Australia talks proposed

RI-Australia talks proposed

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Mines and Energy Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono said on Thursday the Indonesia government wanted to
discuss its sea boundaries with Australia following the secession
of East Timor from Indonesia.

Bambang said the sea boundaries should be redefined to take
into account the exploration of oil and gas under the Timor Gap
treaty, which has been transferred to the UN and Australia and
outside of Indonesian territory.

"The termination of the Timor Gap treaty should be followed
with how we should determine the sea boundaries between the two
countries," Bambang said.

He said Indonesia had transferred its authority under the 1989
Timor Gap treaty to the UN Transitional Administration in East
Timor (UNTAET) after it gave up its rule over East Timor.

Australia and UNTAET are now drawing up a new Timor Gap
treaty.

Bambang said Indonesia and Australia were currently
negotiating the allocation of Timor Gap profits generated before
Indonesia relinquished its rule in East Timor and over
compensation for retrenched Indonesian workers employed in the
Timor Gap. (rid)