EAST TIMOR: East Timor is to become Ireland Aid's first "programme country" in Asia and will receive over €11 million in aid over the next three years, Mr Tom Kitt, Minister of State for Development Co-operation and Human Rights, announced yesterday.
He said the upgrading of East Timor, where Ireland is currently spending €2.7m on development co-operation, was a sign of Ireland's "strong political commitment to engage for as long as necessary" to help develop Asia's poorest country.
"The designation of East Timor as Ireland's seventh programme country is a recognition of the tremendous progress made to date in this young and vibrant democracy, which was born in tough circumstances. It is also a symbol of the commitment of Ireland to assisting the new government to reduce poverty, build capacity and promote good governance and human rights in these crucial early years," he said from Dili, the Timorese capital.
Mr Kitt said he had met President Gusmao, who had warmly welcomed the news. From Vietnam, East Timor's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Co-operation, Dr José Ramos- Horta, said: "Ireland has been a great friend of Timor-Leste and once again it is being very generous. Our people are desperately poor and this decision . . . is most heartening.
"In the United Nations in January we voted for Judge Clark, the Irish candidate for the ICC. It was our first show of gratitude and support for Ireland in the UN."
Mr Kitt, who met the UN Secretary-General's special representative Ambassador Sharma and the commander of the 3,870-strong UN peacekeeping force, Maj Gen Tan from Singapore, cautioned against reducing the UN presence because of ongoing security problems.
"At a time when the very role of the UN is under intense pressure due to the Iraq conflict it is heartening for me to witness at first hand this multinational force doing what it does best - making and keeping peace, not war."
The UN officials went with Mr Kitt by helicopter to the memorial of Pte Peadar Ó Flaithearta from Co Galway, who died in an accident last April. He also visited the cemetery of Santa Cruz, where hundreds of mourners were massacred by Indonesian troops in 1991.