Xanana pledges closer ties with West Timor

Xanana pledges closer ties with West Timor

Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang

East Timor's prospective first president Jose Alexandre Xanana
Gusmao wrapped up his four-day visit to the country's neighboring
province of East Nusa Tenggara, pledging to further improve
bilateral ties with Indonesia.

Speaking before flying home to Dili on Thursday, he
specifically said he would seek closer relations between his
country and the province due to their similar cultures.

East Timor depends much on Indonesia because of the latter's
important role in developing the territory in the past, he
said.

"Indonesia, particularly West Timor, is East Timor's closest
neighbor. Therefore, cooperation between the two countries should
run well," he said.

He promised to invite foreign investors in East Timor to visit
the border area of West Timor to explore possibilities of
building and developing businesses there.

"After I arrive back in East Timor, I will tell foreign
businesspeople there to come to West Timor to look into potential
businesses here," Xanana said.

He also said he could understand the Indonesian government's
decision to halt humanitarian aid in January, 2002 for thousands
of East Timorese refugees currently living in the province.

The decision was made after careful consideration, the East
Timor leader said. Officials in Jakarta have said the halt to the
aid was intended to speed up the repatriation of refugees from
West Timor.

"I think the Indonesian people and government have given the
best service to the East Timorese refugees who have lived in the
camps here for two years," Xanana said.

He reiterated his earlier appeal for them to soon return to
East Timor to decrease the burden on cash-strapped Indonesia.

"Indonesia's burden is already heavy with its 200 million plus
people. So, the refugees should urgently return home to work
together to develop our own country," he said.