AUSTRALIA WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT TIMOR

UNCLAS CANBERRA 000272 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KPKO PREL TL AS UNSC SUBJECT: AUSTRALIA WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT TIMOR POST-UNMISET REF: STATE 24208 ¶1. (U) We delivered reftel demarche on February 11 to Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Assistant Secretary for Maritime South-East Asia Penny Burtt. Burtt said that the GOA was in "heated agreement" with the U.S. that UNMISET should conclude in May and that the Government of East Timor (GOET) needed to assume more responsibility to fill in the gaps after UNMISET departs. She stressed that Australia remained committed to providing police advisors, civilian advisors, and military liaison officers to a post-UNMISET program. Foreign Minister Downer would review proposals next week, Burtt said, but the GOA was not yet in a position to give details on the numbers and types of advisors it would provide. The GOA wanted to see what proposals the UNSC would put forward at the February 26 meeting. Australia would also be sending a senior representative from the Australian Embassy in Washington to the February 16 core group meeting on East Timor. According to Burtt, the GOA was eager to provide assistance to East Timor but wanted to ensure that as many countries as possible remained involved post-UNMISET, as the GOA "does not want to be left holding the baby alone." She told us that the GOA would not have firm figures on support personnel until late March or early April. SCHIEFFER