DILI, 19 may 2023 (TATOLI) – The President of the Republic, José Ramos-Horta, will award the Order of Timor-Leste to Bernard Collaery, Steve Bracks and Harold Mitchell for their immense contribution and dedication to the struggle for maritime sovereignty of Timor-Leste.
The award ceremony will take place at the celebration of the 21st Anniversary of the Independence Restoration Day, at the Palace of the President of the Republic, in Dili, on may 20, 2023.
The Order of Timor-Leste would be conferred to these three Australian Nationals in recognition of their remarkable contribution to the nation’s struggle for its maritime sovereignty.
On august 30, 2019, Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak and Australia’s former Prime Minister, Scott John Morrison, signed an exchange of diplomatic notes for the ratification of the Treaty Establishing the Maritime Borders in the Timor Sea, signed by the two countries on March 6, 2018, in New York.
Bernard Collaery was representing a witness in a case brought by the Timor-Leste government against the Australian Government over the bugging of the Timor-Leste cabinet offices during the negotiations for a petroleum and gas treaty in 2004.
Steve Bracks also made a significant contribution to Timor-Leste achieving full sovereignty over its water.
Last year, Steve Bracks was appointed Australia’s Special Representative, representing the Australian Government for the Greater Sunrise gas project, to consult with the Timor-Leste Government and other key stakeholders including the Sunrise Joint Venture.
Harold Mitchell is also a good and true friend of Timor-Leste who will be awarded the Order of Timor-Leste for his great contribution to the establishment of the Timor-Leste-Australia maritime boundaries.
On 19 May 2023, Timor-Leste’s charismatic leader and chief maritime border negotiator, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, met with Bernard Collaery to thank him for his contribution to Timor-Leste’s victory over the maritime border dispute between Timor-Leste and Australia.
“On behalf of the Timorese people, Gusmão expressed his deep gratitude to the true friends of Timor-Leste for their dedication, commitment, and support to Timor-Leste’s struggle to gain its water sovereignty from its closest neighbor, Australia,” President Horta said in a statement, today.
Horta stressed that Timor-Leste is now focused on bringing oil and gas from the Greater Sunrise field to be processed in Timor-Leste.
Related News:https://en.tatoli.tl/2023/05/18/tl-welcomes-bernard-collaery-in-dili/13/
Journalst: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges
