Timor-Leste To Attend the First ASEAN Regional Forum Inter-Sessional Meeting on Maritime Security

East Timor Ministry of Foreign Affairs Public Relations Division

PRESS RELEASE

Dili, 04 March, 2009

For Immediate Release

Timor-Leste To Attend the First ASEAN Regional Forum Inter-Sessional Meeting on Maritime Security (ARF ISM-MS)


The Government of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste will send delegates to attend the First ASEAN Regional Forum Inter-Sessional Meeting on Maritime Security (ARF ISM-MS), in Surabaya Indonesia, from 4-6 March2009.

Ambassador Roberto Soares said that the meeting aims among other things to asses the issues being discussed among the ARF member countries; explore specific practical actions to produce concrete results that improve maritime security; enhance cooperation and capacity-building in combating sea piracy, and other transnational related crimes. The meeting will provide a timely opportunity for Timor-Leste's delegates to learn current best practices and cooperation for building common steps on matters related to maritime security.

Ambassador Roberto Soares also commented that the 1st ARF ISM-MS meeting will focus its discussions and attention on the need to develop a mechanism to accelerate concrete efforts in order to address maritime security issues compatible to ARF member- country obligations, as well as commitments under international law, conventions and agreements.

The 1st ARF ISM-MS meeting will be co-chaired by Indonesia, Japan and New Zealand and is intended to bring together all ARF participating countries: Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Indonesia, Japan, Democratic Peoples' Republic of Korea, Republic of Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Mongolia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Russian Federation, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste, the United States and Vietnam.

The Timor-Leste delegates headed by Ambassador Roberto Soares, National Director for Cooperation and Regional Integration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will accompany Mr. João Corte-Real, Director-General for Secretary of State for Defense, Mr. Ulderico Rodrigues, National Director for Customs at the Ministry of Finance and Ms. Sebastiana Barros, Assistant Policy Officer for Multilateral Affairs Division, National Directorate for External Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

For More Information Please Contact: Media Unit - Ministry of Foreign Affairs Telp; +670 723-0058 / +670 7321318 / +670 7304231