| Subject: Irish FA Minister Andrews to be appointed
As EU Special Envoy for Timor Date: Sat, 24 Jul 1999 12:03:04 -0400 From: "East Timor Ireland Solidarity Campaign" <etisc@indigo.ie> Source: The Irish Times Date: July 19th 1999 ANDRES TO BE APPOINTED SPECIAL EU ENVOY REPRESENTATIVE FOR EAST TIMOR TODAY FROM PATRICK SMITH IN BRUSSELS The minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Andrews will today be designated as EU Special Representative for East Timor, with particular responsibility for EU statements on the affairs of the troubled territory. Mr. Andres, who visited East Timor in April and witnessed some of the ongoing militia violence agaisnt the indigenous people, will be appointed at a meeting here of the EU foreign ministers which will also hear a report on the state of the precarious peace process form the Portuguese foreign miniter. Registration for a vote on autonomy on August 8th is being severly disrupted by the anit-independence militias despite support for a peace process agreed in New York by the Indonesian government. An EU observer mission is in place, including gardai and Army officers. Mr. Andrews is expected to tell ministers that he is honoured by the appointed. As result of his personal visit, he will say, he is very aware of the terror and destructions which militias groups have been inflicting on the civilian opoulation. Although he hopes that the referendum on autonomy will be held on held August 8th. Mr. Andrews will say that he accepts the levels of violence is such that it may have to be postponed by the UN Secretary General. Back to July Menu |