Subject: UN: 'positive atmosphere' for talks
Date: Tue, 04 Aug 1998 08:39:00 -0400
From: "John M. Miller" <fbp@igc.apc.org>[Excerpt]
3 August 1998 Press Briefing
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL
19980803
When asked how optimistic the Organization was about the talks on East Timor producing
some kind of breakthrough, Mr. Brandt said it was his understanding that there was a
certain positive atmosphere on the eve of the talks that he had referred to earlier.
Ambassador Marker recently had an interesting and very productive visit to the area. That
gave him a very unique understanding of the situation at the present time prior to the
meeting. The Secretary-General had talks as recently as last week with the Prime Minister
of Portugal, Antonio Guterres, and had also talked with Indonesia, the other side. There
seemed to be, as opposed to the last time when such talks happened, a better environment
for the meeting. It would be very imprudent for him to say any more, Mr. Brandt added, but
it seemed that it was going to be a good beginning. The Secretary-General wanted to get
together with the two Foreign Ministers tonight and, hopefully, that would help ease them
into a good and productive session.
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