East Timor gets its own stamps

East Timor gets its own stamps

AUSTRALIA: Australia Post on Thursday donated two million stamps to East Timor, the former Indonesian province that later this month will become the first new country of the new millennium.

The stamps are to be issued on independence day, May 20, and are likely to be highly prized by international collectors.

It was the first time Australia Post had produced a stamp issue free of charge for another country, spokesman Gary Highland told Australia's AAP news agency.

The stamps will be released on May 20 and sold in East Timor, at Australia Post outlets and internationally over the internet. Proceeds will go to East Timor.

Mail posted in East Timor at the moment carries stamps issued by the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET). --DPA