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