Agence France Presse

Jakarta, July 6:

Indonesia said today it has finalised a draft peace deal with rebels in tsunami-hit Aceh and would use a fifth round of talks in Finland to set up a formal meeting to end the decades-old separatist war.

In one of the strongest government endorsements yet of an ongoing informal dialogue with the rebels, who have been fighting for independence since 1976, Vice President Yusuf Kalla said the talks next week were likely to be fruitful. “God willing, on July 12, 2005, there will be a fifth round of peace talks, to discuss the draft memorandum of agreement that had been formulated from the first to fourth round of talks,” Kalla told journalists.

In a further breakthrough, Indonesia’s often wilful military signalled it would abide by any government decision despite earlier suggestions it is reluctant to withdraw from Aceh, where many troops have lost their lives. The Antara news agency quoted Kalla as saying that the draft deal would pave the way for a peace pact.