EAST TIMOR: East Timor's Foreign Minister, Dr Jose Ramos Horta, met the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, in Dublin yesterday. Dr Ramos Horta will plead for Ireland to accord his new country development aid priority programme status.
As Ireland Aid prepares to draw up proposals for the Government on which country should become Ireland's first programme country in Asia, Dr Ramos Horta said he hoped East Timor would be the one.
Mr Tom Hyland, of the Ireland East Timor Solidarity Campaign, has strongly supported programme status for the new nation, which became independent on May 20th.
Ireland Aid's commitment to East Timor has deepened in recent years. From 1999 to 2001, a total of €4.32 million was provided. This year its support figure will be over €3 million. A recent United Nations Development Programme report said East Timor was Asia's poorest country and among the 10 poorest in the world.