UNTAET, Australia will review Timor Gap treaty

UNTAET, Australia will review Timor Gap treaty

CANBERRA (Antara): The Australian government and the United
Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET), along
with representatives of the former Portuguese colony, are slated
to renegotiate the Timor Gap Treaty in Dili on Oct. 9-11.

Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer, Industry and
Resources Minister Nick Minchin and Attorney General Daryl
Williams will represent the Australian government in the
negotiation, the three said here on Monday.

The Timor Gap Treaty between Indonesia and Australia will
expire once the UN grants independence to East Timor.

Australia welcomed the first phase of the negotiation on the
future of the oil exploration and exploitation of the gap.

The negotiation aims to reach an agreement on the change of
the treaty prior to East Timor's independence.

"Hopefully, there would be other negotiations," Downer said.

Australia and UNTAET have agreed that Australia could continue
its exploration of the gap once the former Indonesian province
becomes independent.

Two Australian companies, Phillips Petroleum Co and Multiplex
Construction Pty Ltd last week announced they have begun
constructing a 500-km-long gas pipe from the oil refinery field
in Bayu Undan in Timor Sea to Darwin, Australia.

Bayu Undan is located at the southwest part of Zone A of the
present Timor Gap Treaty.

Indonesia and Australia signed the treaty in December 1989 to
explore and exploit oil and gas at the border between the two
countries.

Based on the treaty, the Timor gap was divided into three
zones -- Zone A in which both Indonesia and Australia get 50
percent of the royalty; the Australia-controlled Zone B in which
Indonesia gets 10 percent of the royalty; and the Indonesia-
controlled Zone C in which Australia gets 10 percent of the
royalty.