DR. JOSÉ RAMOS-HORTA ATTENDS THE OPENING CEREMONY OF ASEAN MINISTERIAL MEETING

Dili, 28 June 2004
Senior Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Dr. José Ramos-Horta, will flight to Jakarta, with Mr. Nelson Santos, Secretary General, Mr. Roberto Soares Cabral, Director of Regional Affairs and Mr. Caetano Guterres, Chief of Cabinet of Senior Minister, will be represent Timor-Leste at the Opening Ceremony of the 37th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Jakarta as Guest of the Host, on June 30, 2004.

“The issue that we will seek to clarify or to raise in this meeting will be mostly of bilateral nature with many of our friends in ASEAN or with the others countries as a member of the ARF. We don’t have any specific issue at this stage besides continuing to inform our ASEAN friends and the others regarding the development in Timor-Leste and our strong intention to seek Observer Status in ASEAN as well as full membership in ARF. We have a clear indication from many countries that they support Timor-Leste’s full membership in ARF”, said Dr. Ramos-Horta.

On the margins of the meeting in Jakarta, Senior Minister, Dr. Ramos-Horta and his counterpart from Indonesia, Dr. Hassan Wirajuda, will sign the 90% of the agreement on border demarcation and regulation between the two countries.

Senior Minister Dr. Ramos-Horta, will leave Jakarta to continue his working visit to Bangkok, Thailand to attend the 2nd Asia-Pacific Ministerial Meeting on 11th of July and in the afternoon, Senior Minister also will attend opening ceremony of the 15th International Conference on HIV/AIDS. Senior Minister is also invited to attend the Asia-Pacific Leadership Forum and Development on HIV/AIDS, on 13th of July. During the visit in Bangkok, Senior Minister will be accompanied by Mr. Marciano da Silva, Director of Multilateral directorate.

The 15th International Conference on HIV/AIDS scheduled to hold on 11th- 16th of July 2004 and the Ministry of Health of Timor-Leste will attend whole events.

The meeting and conference is scheduled to attend by more than 38 countries in the Asia-Pacific region as well as nine regional and international agencies.

Mr. Nelson Santos, Mr. Roberto Cabral and Mr. Caetano Guterres, will previously return to Dili by July 4th , 2004 and Dr. Ramos-Horta and Mr. Marciano da Silva, will return on 14th July 2004.