[excerpts]

EUROPEAN COUNCIL OF MINISTERS PRESS RELEASE

DOCUMENT DATE: MAY 31, 2000

Report of the Senior Level Group

EU-U.S. Summit Queluz, 31 May 2000

The EU and U.S. have similar views in relation to East Timor . We have expressed concern about the difficult situation that prevails in West Timor and have encouraged Indonesian authorities to disarm pro-integration militias and to bring to justice human rights violators. We have carried out parallel demarches in Jakarta on the situation of refugees in West Timor .

We coordinated support for President Wahid and the Indonesian government efforts towards strengthening democracy and respect for human rights, and encouraging reform. We have stressed our support for a strong, democratic, united and prosperous Indonesia and welcome the efforts of the Indonesian government to solve internal conflicts through dialogue rather than through force of arms. In this context, we welcome the signing of a Joint Understanding on Humanitarian Pause on Aceh between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Geneva on 12 May. We hope the agreement represents a first step towards resolving the problems in Aceh through dialogue rather than violence.

We have consulted and often worked closely together at the UN Commission on Human Rights, sharing concerns about the situation in a number of countries and territories, such as China, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, FRY, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Chechnya and East Timor , as well as on thematic issues. We have continued our discussions about various country-specific resolutions, as well as the use of the death penalty, where we recognise differences remain between us.

.... EU-U.S. cooperation to implement the conclusions of the High Level Assistance Consultations is taking place in all relevant areas. Progress has been made especially in the areas of food security, as well as peace building and conflict prevention. A continuous exchange of information has taken place on humanitarian assistance in crisis areas (such as Kosovo, East Timor and Sierra Leone). High-level meetings took place on humanitarian issues in order to enhance our coordination, such as in response to the drought in the Horn of Africa and refugee support in West Africa and Chechnya.

... We will continue our support for the development of nation-building and reconstruction, as well as the establishment of a democratic society and the rule of law in East Timor . Given the generally positive evolution of the situation in the territory, but the slow pace of reconstruction and lack of substantive progress in the process of national reconciliation, we are concerned that all donor contributions pledged at the Tokyo donors' meeting be disbursed and that UNTAET, UN agencies and the World Bank implement as a matter of urgency their programmes in East Timor . We expect the 21-23 June donors' meeting in Lisbon will reflect the international community's strong commitment to the viable future of East Timor .

We will continue to support the Government of Indonesia in its efforts to strengthen democracy, ensure respect for human rights, encourage reform of its military and judicial systems, enhance the rule of law and good governance, restore the vitality of its economy and solve its internal conflicts through dialogue rather than the use of force. We will also work together to help resolve the West Timor refugee problem.

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