The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Andrews, will today be designated as special EU representative for East Timor, with particular responsibility for EU statements on the affairs of the troubled territory.
Mr Andrews, who visited East Timor in April and witnessed some of the ongoing militia violence against the indigenous people, will be appointed at a meeting here of EU foreign ministers which will also hear a report on the state of the precarious peace process from the Portuguese foreign minister.
Registration for a vote on autonomy on August 8th is being severely disrupted by the anti-autonomy militias despite support for a peace process agreed in New York by the Indonesian government.
An EU observer mission is in place, including gardai and Army officers.
Mr Andrews is expected to tell ministers that he is honoured by the appointment. As a result of his personal visit, he will say, he is very aware of the terror and destruction which militia groups have been inflicting on the civilian population.
Although he hopes that the referendum on autonomy will be held on August 8th, Mr Andrews will say that he accepts the level of violence is such that it may have to be postponed by the UN Secretary General.
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