On 1 September 1st, 2026, in Jakarta, Timor-Leste and Indonesia began the fourth round of formal negotiations on the delimitation of the maritime boundary between the two countries, which ran until September 3rd, 2026, as part of the bilateral process to permanently define their respective maritime boundaries.
The Timor-Leste delegation is led by Elizabeth Exposto, Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister and Executive Director of the Land and Maritime Borders Office, while the Indonesian delegation is led by Ambassador Ricky Suhendar. The Prime Minister, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, is in Jakarta to monitor the negotiations.
The negotiations involve senior officials and technical teams from both countries and focus on delimiting the maritime boundary, with the aim of reaching an agreement in accordance with international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
At the start of the fourth round, Elizabeth Exposto thanked the Government of Indonesia and the Indonesian delegation for hosting the negotiations. She highlighted the dialogue and cooperation that have characterised the process.
“For me and the Timor-Leste delegation, it is a privilege to continue this important dialogue with our colleagues from the Republic of Indonesia, in a spirit of friendship, mutual respect, and cooperation, which has, over many years, served as an important foundation for relations between our two countries,” stated Elizabeth Exposto.
As part of the agenda in Jakarta, Indonesia’s Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Arif Havas Oegroseno, hosted a welcome lunch for the Prime Minister and the Timorese delegation taking part in the negotiations.
The current round continues the formal process that began in Dili from August 19th to 20th, 2025. The second round took place in Yogyakarta from December 8th to 10th, 2025, and the third round was held in Singapore from April 27th to 29th, 2026.
The delimitation of the maritime boundary with Indonesia is part of the process of permanently defining Timor-Leste’s borders, following the conclusion in 2018 of the Treaty between Timor-Leste and Australia establishing their respective maritime boundaries in the Timor Sea.
The fourth round of negotiations, under the bilateral dialogue between Timor-Leste and Indonesia on delimiting the maritime boundary between the two countries, continues in Jakarta until September 3rd, 2026.