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Statement by New York, 14 November 2002 Mr. President, Permit me to express the gratitude of the delegation of Indonesia to you and to the delegation of China for convening this open meeting on “The Situation in Timor-Leste.” We acknowledge the presence of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for UNMISET, Ambassador Kamalesh Sharma in our midst today. We welcome him back in New York and my government certainly has the privilege to work closely with him. We thank him for his thoughtful presentation to the Council earlier. My delegation is also grateful to the Secretary-General for his report. As is well known, Indonesia has, before and after Timor-Leste became an independent state last May, developed a warm and special relationship with the 191st member of our Organization. It is in this connection, Mr. President, that we are pleased to applaud the progress that TimorLeste has made since its independence. As we declared in this chamber last May, the Government of Indonesia has and will continue to support UNMISET in the execution of its mandate. It is our strong belief that the process of progress in Timor-Leste requires the cooperation of members of the international community. Mr. President, The path of improving bilateral relations between the Governments of Timor Leste and Indonesia has been marked further by the first meeting, in Jakarta last month, of the Indonesia -Timor-Leste Joint Ministerial Commission for Bilateral Cooperation, which was set up in July 2002 to facilitate consultation and cooperation. The Commission established five working groups to deal with border issues, trade and finance, legal matters, educational and cultural affairs, and transport and telecommunication. With particular reference to the complex border question, Mr. President, both sides agreed to adapt the former Indonesia-UNTAET Joint Border Committee. That body’s first meeting was originally scheduled for 18-19 November 2002, but due to the month of Ramadan, it has been rescheduled for 18-19 December. The Committee has been charged with finalizing agreement by 30 June 2003. In this connection, it may be recalled that in April and May 2002, Indonesia and UNTAET undertook a joint reconnaissance survey, towards the delimitation of the land border between Indonesia and Timor-Leste, including the enclave. Both nations have also arranged to commence formal discussions on maritime border issues by the first half of 2003. At the regional level, it is also my pleasure to point out that early last month, Indonesia’s Southwest Pacific Dialogue initiative was realized; Timor-Leste is a founding participant in that process. Its attendance in ASEAN meetings bodes well for further integration of Timor-Leste into longer term relationships with the region. Indonesia is proud of the modest strides in the relationship between Timor-Leste symbolized by the holding of the Joint Commission and the Southwest Pacific Dialogue. To us, these meetings are a reflection of the kind of mature cooperation between sovereign states. This, I believe, deserves the wholehearted support of this Council and the international community. Mr. President, Let me now touch on the issue of refugees that has been on the table for sometime. Indonesia expects a comprehensive solution by the end of this year. Towards that end, my Government will provide additional incentives for those who opt to return to Timor-Leste by the end of this year. President Xanana Gusmao’s visit to East Nusa Tenggara, early this month, is also part of the redoubled efforts by Indonesia and Timor-Leste to encourage the remaining refugees to return. The second disbursement of funds from the Special Fund for former government employees and pensioners from Timor-Leste before Christmas is also expected to encourage further returns. We take note of Secretary-General’s remarks concerning the low rate of returns in the last two months. One of the major impediments is the lack of the financial support envisaged in the Joint Appeal by Indonesia and the UN last November. We, therefore, reiterate the need for the international community to contribute generously and fulfill their financial commitments to the Joint Appeal. Only through concerted efforts by Indonesia, Timor-Leste and the international community can this problem be solved expeditiously and comprehensively. In the area of external security and border control, we support the assertion in the report that the overall situation has continued to improve since the last report of the Secretary-General. Efforts by the Governments of Timor Leste and Indonesia in this regard are clearly having the desired effect, and Indonesia is determined to ensure that progress does not stop. It is to this end that the cooperation and consultation between the Indonesian military in West Timor and their counterparts in UNMISET will be maintained. In order to encourage progress on this vital issue, however, it is our view that in preparing the reports of the Secretary-General, efforts must be made to avoid terminologies or references that do not reflect the situation in the field. If there are criminal elements in the border area, for instance, they should be characterized as such. Of course, criminal activities are common problems that need common efforts. Mr. President, While Indonesia pursues these avenues of bilateral and multilateral cooperation in support of the young state, there is tremendous room for the international community at large to support these efforts. In this connection, we draw attention to the appeal of the Secretary-General to the Security Council and donor community to remain engaged in Timor-Leste, to build upon its outstanding contribution to date, and to bring this promise to its full realization. Not only will such commitment enable UNMISET adhere to its set timetables, it will enable the Government and people of Timor-Leste to make the kind of steady progress that they badly need now. Meanwhile, Indonesia will continue to stand by them, and to provide its assistance and encouragement. Finally, we would like, once again, to reiterate that the relationship between the two countries has been flourishing extremely well at all levels, therefore we urge members of the international community as well as the United Nations to support this. Thank you, Mr. President.
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