Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Wiranto (center) and Minister of Planning and Strategic Investment of the Democratic Republic of Timor Leste Xanana Gusmao (left) signed an agreement on land boundaries between the Republic of Indonesia and Timor Leste at the Office of the Ministry in Jakarta on Monday (22/7 / 2019). (ANTARA/Fauzi Lamboka/ea).

Indonesia-Timor Leste have signed an agreement on land borders

On Monday, Indonesia and Timor Leste have reached an agreement to solve the land boundaries issue between the two nations. In a meeting held in Jakarta, the agreement was signed by the two countries’ representative, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs of Indonesia Wiranto and Timor Leste’s Minister of Strategic Investment Xanana Gusmo.

The signing of the agreement was witnessed by Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi.

With the settlement of the agreement, Noel Besi Citrana (East Nusa Tenggara) and Bidjael Sunan-Oben (Timor Tengah Utara District) are decided to be the two boundaries between Indonesia and Timor Leste.

Noel Besi-Citrana which is part of Indonesia located in Kupang is directly next to Timor Leste’s territory Oecusse-Ambeno.

As a consensus have been made, the border treaty between Indonesia and Timor Leste in 2005 would be followed up by a senior officer consultation (SOC), according to Wiranto.

The SOC is a special team set up by Indonesia and Timor Leste’s government with an aim to settle the ongoing state boundary disputes between the two nations. Minister Wiranto and Minister Marsudi as the representative of Indonesia’s government made an agreement with Timor Leste’s Minister Xanana to establish the SOC in 2017.

The negotiations on state borders don’t stop here. The government will negotiate on the maritime borders as well after negotiations on the land borders are in principle done, said Wiranto.

While Minister Xanana is optimistic the relationship between Indonesia and Timor Leste will improve as an agreement on the land borders have been made in principle.

Source: https://en.antaranews.com/news/129498/wiranto-xanana-sign-agreement-to-complete-land-border-issues