President Yudhoyono is visiting Timor Leste to attend the inauguration of president-elect Jose Maria Vasconcelos who is popularly known as Taur Matan Ruak on Sunday.
"During the election process in the country and the visit of President Yudhoyono, the security situation in the border areas remains safe and guaranteed," Col. Edison Napitupulu, chief of the Wirasakti Military Resort Command 161 of Kupang, said here on Saturday.
He said that the safe and conducive situation could be observed from the local people`s activities in the region and the activities of border crossers through four main gates that connect the two countries. All activities run normally, he said.
Earlier, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono left Lombok Island, West Nusa Tenggara, for Timor Leste at 7 am local time on Saturday.
West Nusa Tenggara provincial government spokesman Tri Budiprayitno said the inauguration of Timor Leste`s third president was scheduled on May 20, 2012, but President Yudhoyono left for the country a day earlier.
"President Yudhoyono and his entourage left Lombok International Airport (BIL) at 7 a.m on Saturday for Timor Leste, Tri Budiprayitno said, adding that the head of state had been in West Nusa Tenggara since Friday for a working visit.
In a press statement earlier on Thursday, presidential special aid for international affairs Teuku Faizasyah said President Yudhoyono would spend two days in Timor Leste at the invitation of Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao.
Faizasyah said the president would receive a medal of merit "The Grand Collar of the Order of Timor-Leste" from the Timor Leste government during the visit. He will also visit Santa Cruz cemetery and Seroja heroes cemetery in Dili.(*)
Editor: Ruslan Burhani
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
