RI set to argue E. Timor stance at Bangkok meet
RI set to argue E. Timor stance at Bangkok meet
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia says it is prepared to answer questions about its policy on East Timor if European leaders raise the issue during a summit in Bangkok this week.
However, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas warned yesterday that raising the East Timor issue would only divert attention away from the objectives of the inaugural Asia-Europe summit, which is to enhance cooperation between the two regions.
He also expressed confidence that the matter would not be raised in the summit, at least not in the conference proper.
The minister was speaking to reporters shortly after accompanying his Ukrainian counterpart Hennadly Udovonka to pay a courtesy call on President Soeharto at Merdeka Palace.
President Soeharto will be among the 10 Asian leaders who will meet with 15 European leaders in their first ever summit which will be held in the Thai capital on Friday and Saturday.
Although the two camps have already agreed on the summit's agenda, which covers economic and political cooperation, some European leaders are under pressure from their constituents to discuss sensitive political issues such as human rights. Portugal is believed to want to push the issue of East Timor, its former colony, at the forum.
Asian countries have warned that the inclusion of "irrelevant" and "controversial" issues could jeopardize the outcome of the summit.
"We are anticipating that possibility," Alatas said when asked if the East Timor question would be raised at the Bangkok summit. "That means we're prepared to deal with it (if it comes up)."
He emphasized, however, that there are other forums more appropriate to discuss the East Timor problem.
"If they insist on bringing the issue to the forum, which is intended to expand economic relations and political cooperation and discuss issues of common interests, then they will open the doors to irrelevant issues.
"And the meeting then won't achieve the desired result," he said.
Alatas contended that most, if not all, the participating countries have agreed that this is the best course. "They too want this summit to succeed."
"But who knows what's in the mind of the Portuguese prime minister? We will see. Let's hope they will heed our firm appeal. I don't think it (the East Timor issue) will be raised, but if it is, then we will be prepared to deal with it."
Portugal will be represented by Prime Minister Antonio Guterres in Bangkok
His spokesman, David Damiao, was quoted by Reuters as saying that Portugal intends to discuss the East Timor issue in Bangkok just as it has raised it at every international meeting.
"Portugal cannot agree to a limit being put on its right to speak out," he said.
In Brussels, European Union foreign ministers on Monday agreed to postpone a statement on its position on East Timor until after this week's summit in Bangkok.
Portugal earlier urged its EU partners to adopt a position on East Timor before the summit to help offset domestic criticism that the issue was being swept under the carpet.
Alatas said President Soeharto, who will leave for Bangkok tomorrow, has lined up a series of bilateral meetings with some European leaders, but the Portuguese leader is not one of them.
"From our side, there is no such intention (for such a meeting). And from their side, we've not seen any intention," he said when asked of a likely meeting between Soeharto and Guterres. (emb)