Marty reiterates support for Timor Leste’s ASEAN bid

*The Jakarta Post, September 12, 2012 

Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa told his Timor Leste counterpart José Luis
Guterres on Tuesday that Indonesia would continue with its support for Timor
Leste’s bid to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
despite Indonesia no longer holding the chair of the 10-nation group.   

“We will continue to work hard to help realize Timor Leste’s vision to be a
member of ASEAN,” Marty said during a joint press conference with Guterres
following bilateral talks at the Indonesian Foreign Minister’s office. 

“Indonesia welcomes the appointment of Roberto Soares as Timor Leste’s
junior minister for ASEAN affairs within Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão’s
Cabinet. This move proves Timor Leste’s seriousness to pave the way toward
ASEAN membership.” 

The two ministers also agreed to boost cooperation between Indonesia and
Timor Leste particularly in the economic sector, including trade and
investment.

It was Guterres’ first visit to Indonesia since the inauguration of Gusmão’s
Cabinet in August.

“We discussed measures by which to improve the bilateral relations between
our nations to a higher level, such as facilitating the state visits of
officials from the two countries and enhancing people-to-people contact,”
Marty said.

The two ministers also discussed student exchanges, possible cooperation
between universities in Indonesia and Timor Leste, and the provision of
direct flights between the two countries.

Guterres, meanwhile, praised Indonesia’s stronger and more influential
global and regional position. 

“Indonesia has been very active in many forums, such as ASEAN and G20.
Therefore, Timor Leste is committed to improve relations and cooperation
with Indonesia,” the minister said, adding that he hoped Indonesia would be
appointed as a permanent member of the UN Security Council sometime in the
future.

The two foreign ministers also discussed plans regarding a tripartite
ministerial meeting to involve the foreign ministers of Indonesia, Timor
Leste and Australia, to be held on the sidelines of the upcoming 67th UN
General Assembly later this month in New York, US.

Guterres also expressed Timor Leste’s eagerness to take part in the
forthcoming Bali Democracy Forum in November in Bali.

According to Marty, Timor Leste’ s foreign minister also conveyed a plan to
organize the “2012 Tour de Timor”, a cycling competition to be held in the
former Indonesian province on Sept. 10–15.

Timor Leste declared independence from Indonesia in 2002 and has proposed
its inclusion as an ASEAN member since 2007. Its formal application,
however, was submitted in 2011 under Indonesia’s ASEAN chairmanship.

Indonesia and Timor Leste have begun working on a economic cooperation
framework called “the Regional Integrated Economic Approach”.