The Indonesian government was grateful and delighted with the use of Bahasa Indonesia as one of the official languages in neighboring Timor-Leste, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said Tuesday.
"I really appreciate and welcome the use of Bahasa Indonesia as an official language in Timor-Leste," he said in a joint conference with his Timor-Leste counterpart Jose Ramos Horta here.
"We hope universities in Timor-Leste will open Bahasa Indonesia department to help strengthen bilateral ties," he said.
Horta at the end of his remarks said he hoped he would be able to deliver speeches fully in the Indonesian language in his next visits to the neighbor.
Most of the people in Timor-Leste understand and still use Bahasa Indonesia in daily lives.
Timor-Leste was under the Jakarta rule for 24 years before it gained independence following a UN-sponsored referendum in 1999. The half-island country officially proclaimed independence in May 2002.
Source: www.english.people.com (7 Juni 2007)
