E. Timor to open five embassies

E. Timor to open five embassies

JAKARTA: The government of East Timor plans to open five
embassies, one of them in Jakarta, East Timor's Deputy Minister
of Foreign Affairs Fernando De Araujo said in Melbourne on
Friday.

He said the other four embassies would be in Canberra, Lisbon,
Washington D.C. and Brussels.

Speaking before 200 participants of a seminar hosted by
Melbourne University in Australia, De Araujo said East Timor also
wished to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN).

Becoming a member of ASEAN would be expected to benefit East
Timor economically, including increasing its trade.

De Araujo said nine ASEAN members, including Indonesia and
Malaysia, had welcomed East Timor's interest in joining ASEAN.

However, he said Myanmar was opposed to the plan because of
the relationship East Timor's leaders have with Myanmar's
opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. -- Antara