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Indonesia to open diplomatic office in E Timor

JAKARTA: Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid plans to open Indonesia's first diplomatic office in East Timor next month, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said here.

"The plan is to open an interests section, but it will not be attached to any other embassy. It will deal with pressing matters, and will be the first step towards full diplomatic relations," a ministry spokesman told AFP here.

He added the opening of a full embassy would probably wait until East Timor ended its term under the UN Transitional Authority (UNTAET), a period expected to last about two years.

The state Antara news agency on Tuesday quoted a spokeswoman of the East Nusantenggara provincial administration, Nani Kosapilawan, as saying Wahid would open the office on February 24.

But the ministry spokesman said although he could confirm Wahid would personally open the office, the February 24 date had to be considered "tentative".

Japan's Kyodo news agency said on Monday that Tokyo was planning to open a diplomatic office in the East Timor capital of Dili, possibly as early as this month as part of its commitment to help East Timor proceed with independence from Indonesia.

The Japanese foreign ministry will post two officials at the office to deal with the UNTAET and local representatives, Kyodo quoted a ministry official as saying.

Currently the only countries with a permanent diplomatic presence in East Timor are Portugal and Australia. AFP