Portugal president urges continued UN support for East Timor

Xinhua/People's Daily - November 06, 2006 - 11:04

Portugual's President Anibal Cavaco Silva on Sunday asked United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan to brief his successor on the need for the world body to continue its support for East Timor.

Cavaco made the appeal to Annan when they met on the sidelines of the Ibero-American Nations summit being held in the Uruguay an capital.

At the meeting, Cavaco thanked the outgoing UN chief for the work he had undertaken in East Timor, and his part in helping promote dialogue between Portugal and Indonesia over the island.

East Timor was annexed by Indonesia in the 1970s after Portuguese colonists left. The tiny territory became independent in 2002 after a few years of the administration by the UN. It is now officially called Timor-Leste.

Annan will leave office on Dec. 31 after his second five-year term expires. He is to be replaced by South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon on Jan. 1.