Chissano Pledges Cooperation With East Timor

Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique (Maputo) NEWS

June 19, 2004

Posted to the web June 21, 2004

Maputo

Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano on Friday night stressed his government's "total willingness" to assist East Timor in building its own public institutions.

Speaking to reporters after discussions with his East Timorese counterpart, Xanana Gusmao, said the areas which the two countries are looking at in particular are public administration, and the training of the police and security services. "In the area of public administration, we have already exchanged delegations and we are planning practical work, while in the area of police and security training, we are looking at the forms of cooperation", said Chissano.

Chissano also mentioned the need for East Timor to be able to benefit from Mozambique's experience in the diplomatic area, particularly in relations with international organisations.

For his part, Xanana Gusmao expressed the will of the two countries to expand their area of cooperation. He stressed that Mozambique has already overcome many obstacles that Easy Timor still has to face.

Earlier in the day, Gusmao met with Eduardo Mulembue, the chairperson of the Mozambican parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, and with representatives of the two political forces represented in the Assembly (the ruling Frelimo Party, and the opposition Renamo-Electoral Union coalition).

"We would like to learn from the experience of the Mozambican parliament, so as to put our own country on the right path in this complex process of reconstruction", said Gusmao.

He hoped that the recent opening of a Timorese embassy in Maputo "will be a bridge in communication with the other Portuguese-speaking African countries".

Mulembue pledged that Mozambican parliamentarians "will do all they can to help East Timor face its difficulties, despite Mozambique's current state of poverty. Together we will be able to face better these challenges and a globalised world". The main international problem facing East Timor at the moment is its dispute with Australia over oil reserves in the Timor Sea. Interviewed in Maputo by the Portuguese news agency.

Lusa, Gusmao accused Australia of trying "to impose maritime demarcations".

He insisted that Australia had to follow international law concerning rights to the resources under the sea bed. "We don't want anything that belongs to Australia", said Gusmao. "We are merely demanding what we believe, in the light of international law, belongs to us". He insisted that, as the President of East Timor, he could not allow the interests of the country to be sacrificed.

Gusmao is on a week-long official visit to Mozambique, during which he will take part in next week's summit of the ACP (African, Caribbean and Pacific) group, and will attend the celebrations of the 29th anniversary of Mozambican independence, on 25 June.

Copyright © 2004 Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique.

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