The United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, is scheduled to arrive in Dili, East Timor, on Sunday for the start of the nation's celebration of independence, which takes place at the stroke of midnight.
With just four days left before East Timor's independence, the head of the United Nations Transitional Administration (UNTAET) today met with President-elect Xanana Gusmão to symbolically hand over the keys to his office at the Government headquarters building in Dili.
Meeting at an event co-chaired by the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET), governments and aid agencies today pledged over $360 million to support economic development in the soon-to-be independent nation over the next three years.
The head of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) today called on a meeting of donor countries and multilateral agencies to support the economic development plan outlined by the soon-to-be independent territory's leaders.
With just 10 days to go before East Timor's independence, the head of the United Nations Transitional Administration today said the soon-to-be new nation was well prepared to find its own way in the world and reminded its leaders that with statehood came great responsibility in the community of nations.
United Nations and East Timorese officials today opened a new customs post at the border with West Timor, Indonesia, a further step in the normalization of relations between the fledgling nation and its neighbour.
More than 80 countries have so far accepted invitations from United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan to be on hand for independence ceremonies later this month in East Timor as the territory prepares to become the first new nation of the new millennium.
East Timor’s leaders today approved a proposal paving the way for the territory to become a member of the major international financial organizations upon independence later this month, the United Nations mission in the fledgling nations said today.
As refugees continue to trickle back into East Timor, officials from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said today they were hopeful that the territory's fast-approaching independence would be a catalyst for more returns over the next two weeks.
