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Indonesia

Aceh talks conducted constructively - back to Finland in April

Discussions between the Government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement were carried out in a constructive manner, said President Martti Ahtisaari, the peace talk mediator, on Wednesday after the parties had concluded their second round of talks in Finland. Peace talks over the Aceh conflict were resumed by Ahtisaari in January after a 20-month freeze.

The next round will take place in April at Ahtisaari's proposal. By skipping March the parties will have more time for a thorough analysis of the situation. I would be extremely disappointed if the parties did not show up in Finland in April, said Ahtisaari.

The fact that the peace process has been re-launched is an important factor, which in itself could be considered a breakthrough, said Ahtisaari. In principle nothing is agreed upon until everything is agreed upon and at the moment we aim at the end of July, he said. Important issues include a ceasefire agreement, its monitoring, revenue collection in Aceh and the issue of amnesty.

Although the Indonesian Government considers the conflict a domestic issue, the monitoring of a ceasefire agreement would require outside inputs. The United Nations as an international organisation is out of the question, said Ahtisaari, but regional operators such as ASEAN or the European Union could be considered.