TIMOR-LESTE ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT APDP

UNCLAS DILI 000122 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/MTS AND DRL - CAMPONOVO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KDEM PHUM PREL TT SUBJECT: TIMOR-LESTE ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT APDP REF: STATE 39596 On April 29 Charge met 29 with Nastasia Coelho, Director of Multilateral Affairs at Timor-Leste's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to solicit views on the Asia Pacific Democracy Partnership (reftel). Ms. Coehlo expressed enthusiasm for the program. Timor-Leste, she said, could benefit from other Asian countries' best practices in democratic governance, and it also brought its own unique historic experience to the table. After years of Portuguese colonial rule and Indonesian occupation, she noted, Timor-Leste had never wanted any form of government other than democracy, and this was still the case in spite of events during the country's turbulent post-independence period. Noting Timor-Leste's successful implementation of national elections in 2007, she pointed out that Timor-Leste now has a certain amount of expertise in this area that it is prepared to share with others. She said that Timor-Leste would be very interested in sending representatives to participate in an organizing meeting this year, and to other follow-on events. She undertook to coordinate the non-paper with the Foreign Minister and with the Directorate of Regional Affairs. Ms. Coehlo said she looked forward to remaining in touch on this issue. RECTOR