KL offers East Timor help, military training

KL offers East Timor help, military training

Agencies, Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia offered East Timor on Monday assistance ranging from education to military training during a visit by the fledgling nation's prime minister, Mari Bim Amude Alkatiri, an official said.

The offers were made by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in hour-long talks with Alkatiri, who in turn requested help in developing his country's oil and gas sectors, Deputy Foreign Minister Leo Michael Toyad told reporters.

The two men also discussed increasing trade opportunities, Leo said.

Alkatiri, who arrived late on Sunday with a 27-member delegation including Foreign Affairs Minister Jose Ramos Horta and 17 businessmen hoping to attract investment to East Timor.

"They have asked for assistance in developing the gas and petroleum industry.

"In this field, they want guidance and cooperation to assist them in developing their own petroleum company like Petronas, and to increase exports," Leo said.

Alkatiri was due to meet Petronas officials later on Monday, before attending an official dinner reception hosted by Mahathir. The delegation is scheduled to leave for Manila on Thursday.

East Timorese and Malaysian officials had initially been slated to sign a visa agreement Monday, but Toyad said there were technical complications and the pact would probably be signed later.

Malaysian Trade Minister Rafidah Aziz said Alkatiri's delegation also expressed East Timor's desire to join the 10- member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

"They requested about becoming part of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and later on they would like to become part of ASEAN as well," she said on the sidelines of the meeting.

"And (Mahathir) has expressed his support for that."

The ARF, Asia-Pacific's foremost security umbrella group, includes the 10 ASEAN states, along with Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, Mongolia, New Zealand, South Korea, North Korea, Papua New Guinea, Russia and the United States.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

East Timor became independent on May 20 after more than 400 years as a Portuguese colony, 24 years of Indonesian occupation and 32 months under United Nations stewardship.

The country, Asia's poorest, is struggling to recover from the destruction of 80 percent of its infrastructure in a vengeful Indonesian army-backed militia rampage that followed its August 1999 vote for independence.