|
Prime Minister Ramos-Horta touched by John Howard's warmth
and sincerity, 18 July 2006
Prime Minister Dr José Ramos-Horta was touched by the
warmth and sincerity of the Prime Minister of Australia, John
Howard, when the two met on the tarmac of Dili's Nicolau Lobato
Airport this morning.
"I just want you to know that you have in Australia a friend,"
Mr Howard told Dr Ramos-Horta, congratulating the head of Timor-Leste's
government on his appointment.
Dr Ramos-Horta was welcoming his Australian counterpart, the
first foreign leader to visit Timor-Leste since taking office
just over a week ago.
"I was really touched by Mr Howard's candor despite knowing
well how good friend of the Timorese Australia has been,"
Dr Ramos-Horta said.
"Australia came to help in a moment of grave crisis. The
government led by John Howard responded without hesitation to
our appeal and thanks to the prompt intervention, and that of
other countries, life in our city of Dili is returning to normalcy."
Later, at Palácio do Governo, the two leaders met for
an hour to discuss issues of mutual interest to both Timor-Leste
and Australia.
Mr Howard's high-level delegation included Air Chief Marshal
Angus Houston, Chief of the Australian Defence Force; Mr Nick
Warner, Senior Advisor (International), Prime Minister's Office;
Australian Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Margaret Twomey; Hugh Borrowman,
First Assistant Secretary, International Division, Department
of Prime Minister and Cabinet; and Ben Mitchell, Media Advisor.
Led by Prime Minister Ramos-Horta, Timor-Leste delegation included
Deputy Prime Ministers, Eng Estanislau da Silva and Dr Rui de
Araujo; Minister for Interior, Alcino Baris; Minister for Natural
Resources, Minerals and Energy Policy, José Teixeira; the
Chief of Timor-Leste Defence Forces, Brigadier General Taur Mata
Ruak; Prime Minister's Chief of Staff, Marcos da Costa; the Secretary
General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nelson Santos; and
the Prime Minister's policy advisor, Janelle Saffin.
The meeting was held in a spirit of cooperation and friendship,
in which the current security situation, the deployment of troops,
their role and numbers and the forthcoming UN mission.
Mr Howard assured Prime Minister Ramos-Horta that "Timor-Leste
is a sovereign nation and the Australian troops are here at your
request and stay at your invitation."
He also said that he appreciated the "tremendous task"
Dr Ramos-Horta faces, but that he "has a good friend in Australia.,
in the past, in the present and in the future."
Prime Minister Ramos-Horta also told his Australian counterpart
of Timor-Leste's plans for elections, the budget just approved
by the Council of Ministers, and the World Bank's Financial Management
Mission, the strong relationship with Indonesia and plans to convene
the Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Australia Trilateral Commission Meeting.
The two statesmen also discussed Timor Sea developments and Timor-Leste's
plans to have the Greater Sunrise Agreement ratified soon. This
was welcomed by Prime Minister John Howard who pointed out this
would send a strong positive signal to prospective foreign investors.
Prime Minister Ramos-Horta later farewelled his Australian counterpart
at Dili international airport.
Early afternoon Prime Minister Ramos-Horta convened a meeting
of Trade Invest Timor-Leste, a body charged with providing a one
stop shop to foreign investors.
Dr Ramos-Horta told the meeting that it foreign investment was
vital to the development of the country.
"We have to facilitate sound investment in Timor-Leste,"
he said. "I urge you to improve your work to better serve
your customers, in this case investors. We don't want too many
forms to fill in, we don't want too much bureaucracy. We should
make life less difficult for investors as they create jobs for
the poor people of this country.
"Work hard. It is your country. And my only goal in the
next nine months of this government - it should be yours too -
is to serve the poor of this country who have been waiting far
too long for a better life. It is time for action," Dr Ramos-Horta
said.
Dr Ramos-Horta then initiated his program of visiting all ministries
with a visit to the Ministry of Justice.
Dr Ramos-Horta personally greeted every staff member of the ministry,
from the cleaner to the Minister, inquiring about their work.
Later he addressed an all-staff meeting during which talked about
the just approved budget, some of his government's plans for the
next nine months and he appealed to them to work hard for the
good of the country.
Prime Minister Ramos Horta also embarked on a round of discourse
and discussions with all political parties.
|
