DILI, 12 December 2025 (TATOLI) – Timor-Leste’s Ambassador to Indonesia, Roberto Soares, says the land border demarcation between the two countries is almost complete, with only one unresolved section remaining: the Noel Besi–Citrana segment in Oé-Cusse. Technical teams from both sides are still working to reach a final agreement.
The ambassador made the remarks during an interview at Tatoli’s studio in Farol, Díli, where he detailed the status of the negotiations and the historical and legal foundations underpinning Timor-Leste’s position.
“The only area still pending is Noel Besi–Citrana, a sensitive zone where historical interpretations and place names have been shaped by geographical changes that occurred over more than a century,” Soares explained.
According to the ambassador, much of the complexity stems from changes in natural waterways. “The 1904 treaty between the Netherlands and Portugal uses the term Noel, which refers to a riverbed. There are places where a riverbed existed in the past but no longer exists today due to environmental changes. This creates differing interpretations of where the border should run.”
Soares emphasized that Timor-Leste’s position remains firm. “Timor-Leste stands by the spirit and the letter of the 1904 Treaty. We seek only what international law recognizes as ours. We claim nothing beyond that, but we also will not relinquish what the law grants us.”
The ambassador also confirmed that another previously disputed segment—Bidjael–Sunan Obe in Passabe—has been fully resolved. “There is no longer any dispute in that area; the process has been concluded,” he said.
Soares recalled that the main border line, from Batugadé to Salele, has long been finalized in all technical, political, and legal aspects. “We signed a provisional agreement in 2005, and in 2013 we completed the Tapó–Memo segment. The entire main boundary is now defined,” he said, noting that ongoing work focuses only on physical marking and maintenance of boundary pillars, which are sometimes damaged by environmental factors.
Regarding maritime border negotiations, the ambassador confirmed that Timor-Leste and Indonesia formally launched their first technical round in August in Díli, during which both sides agreed on the guiding principles for the dialogue. The next round is scheduled to take place in Jakarta from 8 to 10 December.
Soares added that the maritime process follows a bilateral model, unlike the approach used with Australia under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, because the Australian government had temporarily withdrawn from that mechanism at the time.
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Filomeno Martins
