---------------------------------------------------------- Visit Indonesia Daily News Online HomePage: http://www.indo-news.com/ Please Visit Our Sponsor http://www.indo-news.com/cgi-bin/ads1 -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0 Free Email @KotakPos.com visit: http://my.kotakpos.com/ ---------------------------------------------------------- PORTUGUESE PRESIDENT TO VISIT E TIMOR Friday, December 17, 1999/1:17:54 PM Lisbon, Dec 17 (ANTARA) - Portuguese President Jorge Sampaio is scheduled to pay a two-day visit to the former Portuguese colony of East Timor after attending the handover ceremony of Macau to China on December 20. An official statement from Balem Presidential Palace here said Friday that during his stay in East Timor as of Dec 22-23, President Sampaio would hold a series of meetings with the local leaders and the UN mission officials. Sampaio and his entourage are also slated to make a short visit to the East Timor districts of Oekusi, Baucau, and Aileu. In order to ensure security, Portugal is planning to deploy frigate "Vasco da Gama" at Dili coast. The frigate from military base in Australian northern city of Darwin has been in East Timor waters since the past month to give transportation assistance. Before the East Timor integration with Indonesia in 1976, the territory had been under the Portuguese colony since 1512 until it was left into oblivion in 1975. After 22 years of integration, Indonesia offered two options early this year for East Timorese, on whether to remain part of the country with a wide-ranging autonomy or to secede from the republic. Last August 30, in a ballot sponsored by the United Nations, over 78 percent of East Timorese voted for the independence option. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 17 Dec 1999 jam 09:06:13 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
