07-10-2002 12:29:00. Notícia nº 4191616…

East Timor: Gusmao promotes investment opportunities to Portuguese bankers

East Timorese President Xanana Gusmao meets Monday with Portuguese bankers and entrepreneurs, looking for increased investment in his newly independent country.

The lunch meeting in Lisbon comes on the third day of Gusmao's five-day visit to Portugal, his first as head of state.

Earlier he said that fisheries, tourism and telecommunications were areas of potential interest for Portuguese investors.

Among other events on Gusmao's agenda Monday are a visit to parliament; a meeting at the Institute of High Military Studies, where he was expected to thank the Portuguese for their military aid before and after Timor's May 20 independence; and a banquet hosted by President Jorge Sampaio at Ajuda Palace.

On Sunday Gusmao challenged East Timorese residing in Portugal to adopt "a new spirit of duty and sacrifice".

At a meeting with more than 1,000 Timorese, the president said "no one had imagined" that building an independent state would be "such a difficult task".

"We have ceased to be activists and are now citizens of an independent country. We must now serve rather than demanding that we be served", Gusmao urged his audience, saying he spoke "more as a "brother than as president".

Calling on many students and professionals in the audience by name, he urged them to return home to help in East Timor's reconstruction.

SAS/EL/AG -Lusa-

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