Dili seeks Manila's support for ARF bid

Dili seeks Manila's support for ARF bid

EAST TIMOR: East Timor's Foreign Minister Jose Ramos-Horta will
seek support for his impoverished country's bid to join a major
regional security forum during a forthcoming trip to Manila, his
office said on Monday.

Ramos-Horta is due to begin a two-day official visit to the
Philippines on Tuesday, where talks will focus on the possibility
of Dili becoming a member of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum.

He will then fly on to New York where he will attend the 59th
session of the United Nations General Assembly.

"The objective of the visit is to further strengthen bilateral
relations between the two countries and to exchange views on
common interests regarding regional and international issues,"
Ramos-Horta said before leaving Dili.

"Timor Leste will also use the visit to seek the Philippines
support for Timor Leste's bid to join the ASEAN Regional Forum
(ARF)," he added.

ARF links the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations with 13 other Asia-Pacific states and the European Union.
--AFP