By ADAM SCHRECK DILI, East Timor (AP) — The president of East Timor sees Pope Francis’ upcoming visit as a prime opportunity to promote Asia’s youngest country on the world stage,…
President of East Timor José Ramos-Horta speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the Presidential Palace in Dili, East Timor, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024.
President of East Timor José Ramos-Horta arrives for an interview with The Associated Press at the Presidential Palace in Dili, East Timor, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. The visit is a “reward” for the depth of faith shown by Timorese, some 98% of whom identify as Catholic, and recognition of the progress toward peace the country has shown in recent years, Ramos-Horta said.
Both men still command respect, alongside other independence heroes, given their and the church’s resistance to the occupation, in which as many as 200,000 people were killed.
The oil and gas industry is the bedrock of the economy and the main source of government revenues. But a major offshore site is tapped out and the country needs new reserves to come online to fill the gap. It added that it remains committed to developing the field if “there is fiscal and regulatory certainty necessary for a commercially viable development to proceed.”
“I understand the suspicion on the part of the United States, their fears, in relation to China,” he said. “But I do not see China as a threat to anyone,” he added later.
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