Timor-Leste, Indonesia push to resolve land border issues
DÍLI, 01 September 2026 (TATOLI) – Timor-Leste and Indonesia continued the negotiations on the delimitation of the land border, focusing on efforts to resolve outstanding segments between Timor-Leste’s Oé-Cusse region and Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) province.
The latest meeting was held on Monday at the Kempinski Hotel in Jakarta and was led by Timor-Leste’s Ambassador to Indonesia, Roberto Soares.
The unresolved areas include the Noel Besi-Citrana-Naktuka and Bidjael-Sunan-Oben segments.
The Indonesian delegation was led by the Foreign Ministry’s Director-General for Asia-Pacific and Africa, Santo Darmosumarto, and Andy Aron, Director for Legal Affairs and Territorial Treaties at the ministry.
Soares said the two countries had been holding consultations and negotiations for several years as they worked towards completing the delimitation of the land boundary between the two countries.
The meeting focused on efforts to reach an understanding on how to resolve the remaining sections of the border, he said.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining open, transparent and constructive dialogue as they work towards a final agreement.
They also agreed to continue applying international legal principles, including uti possidetis juris, alongside the 1904 Treaty, as key legal bases for completing the land boundary between the two countries.
The principle of uti possidetis juris generally provides that newly independent states inherit the territorial boundaries that existed under previous colonial administration. For Timor-Leste and Indonesia, historical agreements between Portugal and the Netherlands remain important legal references in determining the land boundary.
Soares said consultations would continue, with both sides expressing their commitment to finding a lasting solution to the remaining border issues.
The meeting also addressed bilateral cooperation and development projects aimed at improving the livelihoods of communities living along the border.
Among the projects discussed was an irrigation scheme using water from the Mémo stream in Maliana, Bobonaro municipality.
The project is expected to benefit communities in Bobonaro and neighbouring areas of Belu Regency, including communities around Atambua in Indonesia’s NTT province.
The Indonesian delegation acknowledged that Indonesia had not yet fully implemented agreements and technical arrangements previously reached by technical teams from the two countries, particularly those related to the sharing and management of water from the Mémo stream.
Indonesia therefore committed to accelerating coordination with its Ministry of Public Works and providing official confirmation soon, allowing Timor-Leste’s technical teams and engineers to resume work and complete the project.
The irrigation scheme is expected to improve water access and generate economic benefits for communities on both sides of the border.
Soares described the talks as taking place in a spirit of friendship and stressed the importance of maintaining strong relations between the two neighbouring countries.
He said the national sovereignty line must be defined on the basis of treaties and international legal principles, while cross-border cooperation should continue to promote development and improve the welfare of border communities.
The two sides agreed to deepen discussions at their next meeting as they work to conclude the remaining negotiations and prepare a final land boundary treaty between Timor-Leste and Indonesia.
TATOLI
