Indonesia visit to strengthen ties: Xanana

The governments of Indonesia and Timor Leste hope to improve bilateral ties, especially on matters concerning national borders and the economy, Timor Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao says.

Gusmao is scheduled to meet Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Tuesday, during his four-day state visit to Indonesia from March 22 to 25.

“Indonesia and Timor Leste have very strong ties. We definitely want to see an improvement in bilateral cooperation through this visit,” Xanana said Tuesday, as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.

In addition to meeting President Yudhoyono, Xanana is scheduled to attend an international conference on defense during his stay in Indonesia, Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said.