Met PM Rui, President Jokowi: End of Year, the Border Issues RI – East Timor Completed

President Jokowi and PM of East Timor Rui Maria de Araujo talked casually in one corner of the yard of Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Wednesday (26/8)

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said that bilateral talks between the delegations of the Government of the Republic of Indonesia (RI) with the Government of Timor-Leste delegation led by the Prime Minister (PM) Rui Maria de Araujo, at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Wednesday (26/8), has agreed on two important points.

“The first is the issue of borders, both land borders and maritime borders. Land border there are two points that have not been completed, and just now we have agreed to be completed by the end of this year,” President Jokowi said in a joint press statement with East Timor Prime Minister Rui Maria de Araujo, at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Wednesday (26/8),

Then the maritime border, President Jokowi said, both countries agreed also will soon start and will start, at first from the northern part of the sea, and then stepped into the sea in the South.

The second issue, relating to the trade and investment, according to President Jokowi, Indonesia remains committed to continue to participate in infrastructure development, and investments in East Timor.

He said Indonesia would continue to increase mutually beneficial trade relations, and will encourage that our trade investments could continues to increase.

Earlier in the beginning of his press conference, President Jokowi argued, is an honor for Indonesia to accept the official visit of Prime Minister Rui Maria de Araujo today.

He asserted, Indonesia is the first country that visited by the Prime Minister of East Leste. “This marks the importance of relations between the two countries, Indonesia and Timor Leste. Not only as a friend and not only as immediate neighbors, but more importantly, that is as close relatives,” Jokowi said.

Attending in that occasion, among others, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security, Luhut B. Pandjaitan; Minister of State Secretary Pratikno; Cabinet Secretary Pramono Agung; Minister of Agriculture Amran Nasution; Minister of SOEs Rini Soemarno; Minister of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya, Minister of Finance Bambang Brodjonegoro, and others.  (DND/RAH/ES)