Jakarta, Feb 2, 2016 (Antara) - President Joko Widodo's (Jokowi's) first state visit to Timor Leste on January 26 was considered brief but meaningful in strengthening bilateral ties between the two neighboring countries and addressing land and maritime border issues.
During the one-day visit, Jokowi, who was accompanied by First Lady Iriana, reaffirmed Indonesia's commitment to becoming a major development partner of Timor Leste.
In separate bilateral meetings with Timor Leste President Taur Matan Ruak and Prime Minister Maria De Araujo, Jokowi discussed issues and efforts to enhance cooperation in trade, investment, energy, and infrastructure development.
The leaders witnessed the signing of five memoranda of understanding on cooperation in: youth and sports, archives, climatology and geophysics, search and rescue, and energy and mineral resources.
The two countries' leaders also reiterated their joint commitment to accelerating solutions to land and maritime border issues.
The governments of Indonesia and Timor Leste agreed to accelerate the process of border talks between the two countries that share land and maritime borders.
Presidential communication team leader Ary Dwipayana quoted President Jokowi as saying that both countries agreed to wrap up border talks as soon as possible.
Presidential communication team leader Ary Dwipayana quoted President Jokowi as saying that both countries agreed to wrap up border talks as soon as possible.
In the meeting with Timor Leste's Prime Minister Rui Maria de Araujo, border problems were the focus of the talks.
The two heads of state hailed the ongoing intense consultations on both land and maritime borders between the two countries.
The two nations have to settle land and maritime border disputes that arose after Timor Leste, formerly an Indonesian province, gained independence.
Both governments plan to conduct a joint survey of some border areas in East Nusa Tenggara Province, which are still considered as disputed territory.
The results of the joint research would serve as groundwork for conducting a joint discussion to determine the disputed boundaries between the two countries, Head of the Border Management Agency of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Paul Manehat stated in Kupang, the province's capital, on February 1.
"The joint research would be conducted in the near future, involving delegations from both Indonesia and Timor Leste," he noted.
The initiative to conduct a joint research was proposed by Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs as in the latest meeting with the government of Timor Leste in Dili, last year, the two countries had not reached an agreement on how to deal with the border dispute.
Manehat remarked that the research would focus on some disputed areas such as the Citrana-Noelbes area in Kupang and Oecuse and Manusasi in Central North Timor District.
The research would also involve traditional and community leaders, who have lived in coexistence in each territory in the border areas, as their views are necessary to obtain the actual data related to the history of the border areas.
"Such concept has been based on the agreement between the two countries. It is aimed at gaining the best result to solve the border issue, which has been the cause of rising tensions between Indonesia and Timor Leste," Paul stated.
Commander of Udayana IX Military District Major General M. Setyo Sularso claimed that there are at least six disputed border areas in East Nusa Tenggara between Indonesia and Timor Leste.
Sularso affirmed that the disputes between the countries are categorized into two types of border problems.
The first one is an unresolved segment, an issue related to the state border between Indonesia and Timor Leste in which the border line has not been agreed upon or decided by the two countries.
The second one is an unsurveyed segment, an issue concerning the border line, which has been decided by the two countries, but the people of Indonesia and Timor Leste are unaware of it.
Despite the sterile status, which means no activity should be carried out in the disputed area, Timor Leste has, in fact, already built permanent agricultural offices, meeting hall, logistics warehouse, rice mill, irrigation canals, and paved roads.
Despite the sterile status, which means no activity should be carried out in the disputed area, Timor Leste has, in fact, already built permanent agricultural offices, meeting hall, logistics warehouse, rice mill, irrigation canals, and paved roads.
In the meantime, the visit also offered the necessary momentum to renew cooperation with Timor Leste in several areas including cooperation in the energy and economy sectors.
Jokowi affirmed that the two countries had also agreed to cooperate in the energy sector, including in the development of a liquefied natural gas plant and in infrastructure construction.
Indonesian state companies have actively participated in the development of infrastructure in Timor Leste.
"In 2011-2015, Indonesian state companies took part in the development of infrastructure projects valued at US$344 million in East Timor. In 2016, the value of cooperation projects is expected to increase to Rp7 trillion," he noted.
Furthermore, Indonesia is keen to become Timor Leste's main partner to supply medicines and health equipment to the country.
In the banking and telecommunications sectors, cooperation between the two countries would also be expanded, he remarked.
State-owned lender Bank Mandiri has operated in East Timor since 2003 and state telecommunications company PT Telkom Indonesia had begun operations in the country in 2013.
Jokowi has also hailed the cooperation between Timor GAP EP and LNG Badak in the exploitation of liquefied natural gas.
"Indonesia is ready to help Timor Leste build an LNG refinery," he added.
Regarding people-to-people contact, Jokowi said he had observed an increase in air connectivity between the two countries, marked by more flights between Indonesia and Timor Leste.
He also expressed Indonesia's readiness to help increase the number of pilots and crew members and develop Timor Leste's national airline.
President Jokowi lauded the Timor Leste government's support to develop the Indonesian Cultural Center in Dili, the capital of Timor Leste.
Regarding the Commission of Truth and Friendship, Jokowi commended the progress achieved in the implementation of its 2008 recommendations.
"For Indonesia, Timor Leste is a friend and the closest neighbor and also like a brother," Jokowi stated while receiving the highest medal of honor --- the Grand Collar of the Order of Timor Leste --- pinned by President Taur Matan Ruak.
"This honor casts a big responsibility on me to preserve the friendship, brotherhood, and mutually beneficial close cooperation between Indonesia and Timor Leste," he remarked.
Indonesia and Timor Leste are united and bound by geographic proximity and culture, President Jokowi noted.
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EDITED BY INE
(T.F001/A/BESSR/O. Tamindael) 02-02-2016 14:20:58
(f001/INE/o001)
EDITED BY INE
(T.F001/A/BESSR/O. Tamindael) 02-02-2016 14:20:58
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