NEWS RELEASES
CANADA WELCOMES AGREEMENT ON EAST TIMOR
May 5, 1999 (5:20 p.m. EDT ) No. 97
CANADA WELCOMES AGREEMENT ON EAST TIMOR
Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy and Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific) Raymond Chan
welcomed the agreement on East Timor signed today by Indonesia and Portugal at the United
Nations. The agreement sets out a plan for wide-ranging autonomy, which will be proposed to
the East Timorese through a UN-sponsored ballot on August 8, 1999, and will establish a UN
presence in East Timor in preparation for that ballot.
"This agreement is welcome news. Canada has always advocated the UN-sponsored process
as the best means to resolve the East Timor issue," said Minister Axworthy. "We will continue
to support East Timor's peaceful transition, both under the auspices of the UN and at the grass-roots level."
The agreement sets out the autonomy plan that will be proposed to the East Timorese in a
direct democratic ballot on August 8. It also covers the modalities of the ballot itself and the
security provisions for a UN presence in the period leading up to and during the ballot. The
agreement calls for the deployment of civilian police officers under UN command who will act as
advisers in East Timor, in addition to electoral personnel and observers. The first contingent of
UN personnel is expected to arrive in East Timor in mid-May in order to assess various aspects
of the situation on the ground, including security.
"This agreement is a major breakthrough for all parties concerned," said Secretary of State
(Asia-Pacific) Chan. "It is a welcome addition to the cease-fire agreement between pro- and
anti-independence groups signed two weeks ago in East Timor. We look to all signatories to this
agreement to ensure an immediate end to the violence. We hope that, taken together, these two
agreements mark a new and enduring phase of peace and reconciliation for the people of East
Timor."
As the third-largest international donor to East Timor, Canada provides about $1.2 million in
assistance annually, all of which is channelled through non-governmental organizations by the
Canadian International Development Agency. In view of the recent progress at the UN and
today's signing, Canada is examining a range of options for further assistance to East Timor.
- 30 -
For further information, media representatives may contact:
Debora Brown
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
(613) 995-1851
Naseem Nuraney
Office of the Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific)
(613) 995-1852
Media Relations Office
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
(613) 995-1874
| 
