Chinese Permanent Representative to the United Nations Wang Guangya on Wednesday urged the UN and the international community to continue supporting Timor-Leste.

"The United Nations and the international community should continue to provide support to Timor-Leste to help the country gain full self-reliance," Wang told an open meeting of the Security Council, held to discuss the latest developments in Timor-Leste. 

Wang reiterated China's support to the work of the UN Mission of Support in East Timor (UNMISET), expressing the hope that the UN mission would make best use of the time remaining in its mandate to help with nation-building in the country.

He said the international community should now begin to discuss the transitional arrangements after the mandate of UNMISET ends. The UN mission and other UN agencies should maintain close consultations with the government of Timor-Leste and work out specific proposals for the arrangements for the post-UNMISET era, he said.

Wang also urged donors, the UN system and international financial institutions to maintain the level of assistance to Timor-Leste, so as to ensure that the country to embark on a road of sustained development.

Wang said China would accelerate economic and trade cooperation with Timor-Leste in the fields of oil and natural gas development, and agriculture and fishery.

Kamalesh Sharma, special representative of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in a statement at the meeting, made an assessment of the situation in important areas of security and governance within UNMISET's mandate and anticipated areas of continuing support.

He said "remarkable" gains had been made by Timor-Leste in various aspects of nation-building in the 17 months since the establishment of UNMISET. However, challenges still remained, he added.

"Even as we rightfully acknowledge the achievements, we must be cognizant that, in its current nascent stage, the state will inevitably have areas of concern requiring both the sustained attention of state actors and the continuing engagement and support of development partners," he said.

Representatives from 25 countries, including the 15 member nations of the Security Council, spoke at the open meeting.

The UNMISET was established on May 20 last year with a mandate to provide assistance to core administrative structures critical to the viability and political stability of Timor-Leste, provide interim law enforcement and public security and assist in the development of a new law enforcement agency, and contribute to the maintenance of the external and internal security of the country. The mandate of the UN mission will expire on May 20, 2004.

Timor-Leste declared formal independence on May 20 last year.

(Xinhua News Agency October 16, 2003)