U.S. denies it is cutting aid to E Timor

U.S. denies it is cutting aid to E Timor

UNITED STATES: The United States on Friday denied a report that
it was thinking of cutting aid to East Timor by 40 percent to
divert the funds to the operation to rebuild Iraq.

"Our economic support to East Timor is not decreasing," said
the State Department in a written answer to a question taken at
spokesman Richard Boucher's daily press briefing.

"We provided US$25 million in foreign assistance to East Timor
in 2002 and are providing $25 million in 2003.

"This is the largest U.S. aid program in East Asia on a per
capita basis."

The report, out of Tokyo, quoted East Timor's Foreign Minister
Jose Ramos Horta as saying that U.S. officials were considering
cutting aid to East Timor by 40 percent. --AFP