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United States - East Timor Society

December 12, 2004 Press Release

East Timor President Xanana Meets with President George W. Bush"

During a December 5 to 9 visit to Washington, D.C. Democratic Republic of Timor Leste's (East Timor) President Xanana Gusmao met with President George W. Bush at the White House, and separately with National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, as well as with senior State Department and USAID officials.

The visit, which reflected close ties between Dili and Washington, also included a gala dinner hosted by the National Democratic Institute, which presented President Gusmao with its W. Averell Harriman Democracy Award. President Gusmao also spoke at a luncheon in his honor hosted by the Asia Society and the United States - East Timor Society (USETS).

In a separate meeting with USETS Directors, the President underscored the importance to East Timor of its warm relations with the United States gvernment and people. He noted East Timor's continuing need for international assistance but also stressed that East Timor seeks investment as a poor but stable democracy with good economic potential.

USETS Directors, for their part, pledged to continue to inform Members of Congress, the Administration, U.S. business, the press and non-governmental organizations of the challenges facing the world's first democracy of the new millennium, and of East Timor's broad potential as a destination for development-oriented investment and eco-tourism.

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The United States - East Timor Society is a non-profit NGO whose board includes religious leaders, authors, retired diplomats, and human rights advocates.

For further information, contact

USETS Secretary Edmund McWilliams. email: edmcw@msn.com tel: 703-237-3913; 703-899-5285