PORTUGUESE COMMUNITY MEETS ON EAST TIMOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L LISBON 001195 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/19/2016 TAGS: PREL UN PT SUBJECT: PORTUGUESE COMMUNITY MEETS ON EAST TIMOR Classified By: Dana M. Brown, Pol/Econ Officer, State Department Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (U) The Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP in Portuguese) met in Lisbon on June 18 to discuss its response to the crisis in East Timor. CPLP, established in 1995, includes Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe, and East Timor (since 2002). In addition to development projects and language initiatives, the group has undertaken some institution-building missions in East Timor and an election observer mission in Guinea Bissau. (FM Ramos Horta led the latter.) ¶2. (SBU) Pol/Econ Officer discussed the June 18 meeting's outcomes with Ambassador Rui Aleixo, Head of the Portuguese Mission to the CPLP. He reported that the CPLP's Executive Secretariat agreed to organize a fact-finding trip to East SIPDIS Timor within the next month to allow CPLP members decide how best to support East Timor. Aleixo said the member state representatives also signed a declaration of support for East Timor and agreed to remain engaged over the next year. ¶3. (SBU) CPLP members concur that the careful creation of a new UN mission is the most important task for nations attempting to assist East Timor, according to Aleixo. He stressed that CPLP members seek at least a one year commitment with military, police, and civilian training/assistance until the 2007 elections. He noted that the fact-finding mission will focus on how the CPLP can support the UN's efforts as a community. ¶4. (C) Comment: Although the CPLP is willing to show solidarity and visit East Timor, Aleixo made it clear that the UN is in charge of coordinating the international response in East Timor. Aleixo was also careful to distinguish that, while Lisbon hosts the CPLP headquarters, the community as a whole, rather than Portugal in particular, had decided to coordinate the visit and show solidarity. This is unlikely to affect Portugal's National Republican Guard mission to East Timor. End comment. Hoffman