NZ and Australia united over East Timor's future

NZ and Australia united over East Timor's future

QUEENSTOWN, New Zealand (AFP): The New Zealand and Australian governments have agreed to consult each other on future actions to help East Timor as it approaches independence from Indonesia, NZPA reported on Sunday.

It was one of the issues discussed at the weekend in the South Island tourist resort of Queenstown during talks between New Zealand Prime Minister Jenny Shipley and Australian counterpart John Howard.

"I think we have a very similar view on East Timor," Howard told reporters.

New Zealand would look to Australia for a lead, should the need for aid or peacekeeping arise in the future, Shipley said.

"New Zealanders feel very strongly about this and would want to assist in an appropriate way," she said.

"We would be looking to Australia to give us advice on where they think we could most usefully assist."

Both prime ministers said it was premature to talk about the possibility of aid or peacekeeping as such action would not be needed if there was a peaceful transition to independence.

The two governments are concerned that if change takes place too fast, East Timor could be destabilized.

"We want to encourage the Indonesians and the people of East Timor to reach an understanding and an outcome that is going to provide the maximum economic and social stability," Howard said.

"It's premature to be talking about peacekeeping forces. We, of course, are arguing that the best outcome in the short term is a phased movement towards independence, preferably a period of autonomy within Indonesia."