MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA ON RECEIVING STATE VISIT OF PRIME MINISTER OF TIMOR LESTE AT MERDEKA PALACE, JAKARTA

Unofficial English Translation

 MESSAGE

OF

THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA

On Receiving STATE Visit of Prime Minister of Timor Leste

at Merdeka Palace, Jakarta

ON 26 August 2015

His Excellency Prime Minister Rui Maria de Araújo and all the delegation,

It is an honor for Indonesia to welcome Prime Minister Rui Maria de Araújo in his official visit today.

Indonesia is the first country that Prime Minister visits (after his inauguration as Prime Minister) and this shows the significance of the relation between the two countries – Indonesia and Timor Leste – not only as friends but also as close neighbors, and more importantly, as close brothers.

We discussed two important issues that we are going to resolve immediately.
The first one concerns border issue, both land border and maritime border. There are issues in two points of the border area between the two countries that have not been resolved yet and during the discussion we agreed to resolve the issue by the end of the year.

We also touched on maritime borders. We will immediately begin (negotiations on the delimitation of maritime boundaries) in the northern area before. Afterwards, we will discuss maritime boundary disputes in the southern area. I suppose that it will also be immediately resolved.

The second one concerns trade and investment. Indonesia continues its commitment to participate in building infrastructures and to make investment in Timor Leste. Indonesia also continues to promote mutually beneficial trade relations.

We will continue to push for these two issues so that investment and trade (between the countries) continue to grow.

Those are two points I can deliver on this auspicious occasion.

Thank you and now I would like to invite Prime Minister of Timor Leste to take the floor.

Translation by Office of the Assistant to the Deputy Cabinet Secretary for State Documents and Translation,

                Office of the Deputy Cabinet Secretary for Cabinet Work Support

as published on: www.setkab.go.id (26 August 2015)