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UN, Indonesia to discuss East Timor border issues

UN, Indonesia to discuss East Timor border issues

Officials from the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) and the Indonesian Government will meet on Thursday in an attempt to resolve border issues on Timor Island, the UN mission said today.

During the two-day meeting of the Joint Border Committee in Jakarta, the participants will split into four sub-committees to discuss cross border security and police cooperation, demarcation and regulation of the border, and the cross border movement of people and goods.

East Timor's 13-member delegation will be led by Lakhan Mehrotra, Director of UNTAET's office in Jakarta, and will include officials from the East Timor Transitional Administration (ETTA), the Peacekeeping Force, Civilian Police, Military Observers and UNTAET's office of Political Affairs. East Timorese Defence Force Commander Taur Matan Ruak will also attend.

The Joint Border Committee, which was established in September 2000, held its first meeting in late January.

In other news, the East Timorese Transitional Cabinet today swore in Ovídio de Jesus Amaral as the Cabinet Member for Infrastructure, following the decision of former Cabinet Member João Carrascalão to suspend his Cabinet activities during the electoral campaign.

Mr. Amaral will hold this position until the formation of the next transitional Cabinet after the 30 August elections for the Constituent Assembly. Nicola Dahrendorf was also sworn in as the Cabinet Member for Police and Emergency Services and will serve in this post until Dennis McNamara, the deputy head of UNTAET, assumes the portfolio.