PM GUSMAO:Ladies and Gentlemen, Firstly, it is with great warmth that I welcome the Prime Minister of Australia, the Honourable Kevin Rudd to Timor-Leste
Prime Minister, I welcome you on behalf of the Fourth Constitutional Government of Timor-Leste and behalf of the citizens of our humble nation.
By travelling to Timor-Leste, Mr Rudd has extended the hand of solidarity between nations and demonstrated that regional peace is a priority.
The swift and immediate response to Timor-Leste during this time of insecurity is a sign that our neighbours have great faith in our young democracy.
And that the protection of our democracy is central to establishing a climate of peace and stability.
Australia has proven steadfast in supporting the sovereignty of Timor-Leste as willing and committed participants.
The renewed efforts in peacekeeping is an indication that diplomacy amongst neighbours extends beyond borders and is critical to national security.
Our nation is a proud nation. We are ready to progress from volatility to stability and from fear to confidence.
Many people ask, is this achievable in light of this week's events?
Today, I tell you the Prime Minister of Australia and I stand together not only united by the will for peace but united in the values that support peace.
Values which defend social equity and inclusion, uphold transparent and accountable democratic institutions that respect, above all, the Constitution of a nation.
Values that support social welfare as compassionate and necessary for those who suffer deeply from poverty and promote dialogue above violence and debate over political self interest.
Finally, those values which use the power of education to evolve a nation.
But above all else, recognizing that maintaining law and order and the protection of citizens is a natural and God-given right for the people of Timor-Leste and one which I will defend with all that is in my power
So yes...... it is achievable, because a bullet can wound a President, but never, can penetrate the values of democracy.
Mr. Rudd, as we enter into this period of restoration, I give thanks to you, the Australian Parliament, the combined efforts of the Australian Peace keeping mission and the Australian people for their unwavering support to Timor-Leste.
Thank you.
PM RUDD: I would like to thank very much the Prime Minister of Timor Leste for making myself so welcome today here in Dili.
The Australian people were stunned and shocked earlier this week to learn the news of this brutal and violent assault on the democratically elected leaders of this wonderful country.
The purpose of my visit today is to state in clear and loud terms that Australia will stand shoulder to shoulder with East Timor into the future in the defence of its democratic system of government.
The Australian people and the Australian Government have been long committed to this country both through our brave men and women in uniforms - the Australian Defence Force; though our officers in the AFP; and through our diplomats and aid workers and others who have assisted in the development of this country in recent years.
That assistance will continue into the future. Australia is not just a fair-weather friend of Timor Leste, but is here for the good times, the bad times and difficult times. We are therefore a partner with Timor Leste into the future. The Prime Minister spoke just now of the values which we hold in common as two democracies. In Timor Leste's case - a new democracy, in our case - one of the world's oldest continuing democracies Australia. And that core value is this, it is by the ballot box, not by the barrel of the gun that decisions of our countries will be made.
Therefore the purpose of my visit is to reinforce that core value which unites our two countries and our two people. I state again in a clear-cut terms that we are here to stand shoulder to shoulder with the government and people of Timor Leste in this difficult time in defence of their democracy.
I have also in discussions today with the Prime Minister spoken of areas of further cooperation in the area of police and law enforcement. I have also spoken further today with the Prime Minister in terms of cooperation in the economic sphere as well, including what we can do in the field of agriculture and on top of that in youth employment programs across this country.
We have further measures to announce in this regard into the future, but we aught to make sure that when it comes to Timor Leste's overall development - be in security, be it in the economy, be it in social policy, be it in education, or be it in health that we are in fact comprehensive partners in security and development for this emerging democracy in our own region.
The last thing I would say before I think we take your questions is this - that we are very mindful of the assault in particular on the President's life Jose Ramos-Horta. Jose Ramos-Horta has been a long standing friend of mine. I have stayed at Jose's house before, the house where he was brutally assaulted only on Monday. Our thoughts and our prayers are with him and his family as he recovers in Darwin Hospital. His is a difficult struggle; he has taken very very serious wounds. But I know he is a fighter and I know also that he has been the recipient of the best medical treatment that our country can provide and have willingly and happily provided to our friends in East Timor to assist in his process of recovery.
Also, Mr Prime Minister, the assault on yourself, the threats to your family, we feel equally keenly as your friends in Australia have watched developments very carefully in recent days. So our concerns are of course those between our two countries and our two governments. But there is a personal dimension of this too, the Prime Minister is a long standing friend of our country and many of us in political spheres in Australia, as is the President, and we only wish them well for the future and for the future of Timor Leste's stability and political development.
Thank you very much
JOURNALIST: Mr Rudd how long do you think the Australian troops will remain in East Timor?
PM RUDD: East Timor is an independent democratic state and we will remain in East Timor so long as we are invited to do so by the government of East Timor. Those assessments I am sure will be made on a continuing basis by the Government and because we want to be partners in East Timor's long term security we will always be open to requests from our friends in Dili as to what may be the necessary in the future.
JOURNALIST: Mr Rudd... this is a question for both Prime Ministers...Is there any doubt in either of your minds that Alfredo Reinado went to the President's house on Monday morning with murderous intent?
PM RUDD: My response to that is as follows and consistent with that I said in Australia yesterday, the facts of these matters are yet to be fully determined. I believe there are proper investigatory processes underway. We should established all those facts clearly and reach our own conclusion. In terms of the independent investigative authorities of East Timor, I am sure they will reach their own conclusion as well.
PM GUSMAO: Well, if it was only the incidence of the attacks on the President's residence, then I would conclude like you but it was a number of attacks which would suggest it was a well coordinated plan.
JOURNALIST: Is East Timor a better a place now that Reinado is dead? I believe the Government and officials were negotiating with him?
PM GUSMAO: Well, with him? He's dead now. For the government and for the state and the security of the people, it is an obligation and we will continue to do this, we will continue to ensure the security and welfare of the people and that is why everything related to insecurity we will address all the issues.
JOURNALIST: Mr Rudd why aren't you meeting with SRSG Khare and ... (inaudible) the Federal Police?
PM RUDD: On your first question, subject to the UN Special Representative's availability, we will be seeing him later today. Secondly, on the question on the AFP, of course they operate within the overall framework of UNPOL and the ADF of course will operate separately, but the overall mission statement here is clear and that is to work, to enhance the security of East Timor and to do so in response to the request of this democratically-elected government and independent state. Our job is to enhance security here but to do so always in partnership and response to the request of the government
JOURNALIST: Mr Rudd can you or East Timor set out what further economic assistance the Government is providing to East Timor?
PM RUDD: One area that we are working on is in the area of the youth employment, given the problems which the Prime Minister and I have discussed on this occasion and that the President and I discussed on my last visit to East Timor in December. That concerns what we can do on the ground through effective infrastructure development and rural development and agriculture development to provide real employment opportunities for young people in this country.
And we have been working a long time now on this within the ranks of the Australian Government and we are now about to go into the detail of it with our partners here in Dili as well. We have discussed this also with the Finance Minister of East Timor this morning who was a party at our meeting. We will have further things to say about this in due course, but looking at East Timor's overall long term development needs, we are now talking about immediate challenges to the security of this democracy. But we are equally partners with East Timor in the long term challenges of economic development. Ensuring young people across East Timor have a job is core business for this country's long term stability and development.
JOURNALIST: Mr Rudd will you be visiting President Ramos-Horta in Darwin hospital?
PM RUDD: When I leave Dili later today, I will be flying to Darwin and I will be visiting the Hospital, firstly to thank the Hospital's staff for the excellent treatment that they have been providing to the President and subject to medical advice from his doctors I will of course seek to say hello to Jose as well, but that will be the subject to the medical advice when I hit Darwin
JOURNALIST: Mr Rudd will you be meeting Mari Alkatiri today?
PM RUDD: I will be meeting Mari Alkatiri from Fretilin and I look forward to those discussions as well. This is a democracy and when heads of government from East Timor visited Australia I have met them both as Opposition Leader and Prime Minister. That is the way in which democracies work around the world and I am sure the health of this democracy accommodates that as well in this country.
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