Labour Leader Helen Clark today
strongly endorsed the proposal of the Canadian foreign
minister to have the APEC meetings in Auckland address the
issues in East Timor.
Helen Clark said it was clear that
the Indonesian authorities were not exercising proper
control in east Timor.
"The APEC leaders' meeting is
timely. There will be concern right around the Asia Pacific
region about the deteriorating security in east Timor. The
leaders' meeting is an excellent opportunity for it to be
made known to Indonesia that the region expects it to uphold
the result of the referendum and ensure that order is
maintained.
"The National Party has long sought to confine
the APEC agenda to narrow economic issues. That is
inappropriate. APEC provides the only regular meeting ground
for leaders from the whole region and its agenda should not
be narrowly prescribed.
"It is to be hoped that the New
Zealand Government will support the Canadian foreign
minister's call and take this issue seriously," Helen Clark
said.
Contact: Mark Watts (press secretary), 04 471 9477
or 025 422
734
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