RI-Portugal friendly game sought

RI-Portugal friendly game sought

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia has suggested one of Portugal's top
soccer teams comes here for a friendly match as part of the
efforts to help the two countries accelerate their talks on
restoring diplomatic links.

State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Agung Laksono said
yesterday he had extended the invitation to his Portuguese
counterpart during an international ministerial meeting on youth
affairs in Lisbon recently.

"I also spoke to President Jorge Sampaio. I said that we
wanted one of Portugal's best soccer teams, either Benfica of
Porto FC, to play in Indonesia, hopefully not later than the end
of this year," Agung said.

"I hope this proposal will be responded to positively, because
we basically have agreed to improve our bilateral relations."

Jakarta and Lisbon froze diplomatic ties following the
integration of East Timor, once a Portuguese colony, into
Indonesia in 1976.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas and his Portuguese
counterpart Jaime Gama agreed in United Nations-sponsored talks
in New York early this month to hold in-depth discussions on
Indonesia's proposals for "special status, based on a wide-
ranging autonomy" for East Timor. (yan)