Soeharto okays plan to hire Portuguese pilots

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia is ready to recruit Portuguese pilots to help supplement a shortage at home although the two countries have no diplomatic relations which were broken in 1976 over the question of East Timor.

President Soeharto yesterday agreed to the proposal to hire the Portuguese pilots when it was discussed by Xavier Lopez da Cruz, a senior East Timorese politician, during a meeting at the Bina Graha presidential office.

Lopez told reporters after the meeting that the proposal was made by a Portuguese air force retired general, Galvao de Mello, who now heads the Portuguese-Indonesia Friendship Association.

Soeharto proposed that these Portuguese pilots be employed on flights between Jakarta and Singapore, according to Lopez, who is an ambassador at large on East Timor affairs.

These pilots have clocked more than 5,000 flying hours but their employment in Portugal will soon be terminated, he said.

He did not deny that there is a political motive behind this plan. "These pilots will be working for us and, of course, they will see Indonesia and will relate what they see to their friends at home."

Yesterday, President Soeharto also approved the plan of the Indonesia-Portugal Friendship Association, which is chaired by his daughter Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana, to visit Portugal, Lopez said. (emb)