Fed: Beazley to visit East Timor today

AAP General News (Australia)
12-01-1999
Fed: Beazley to visit East Timor today

Opposition Leader KIM BEAZLEY will visit Australian troops in East Timor today in a
bi-partisan show of support for the peacekeeping operation.

Mr BEAZLEY's one-day visit follows that of Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD last week.

The opposition leader will visit troops and a hospital as well as meet with East Timorese
independence leader XANANA GUSMAO and Dili Archbishop CARLOS BELO.

Mr BEAZLE's visit comes as Foreign Minister ALEXANDER DOWNER tries to hose down diplomatic
tensions with Indonesia sparked by the East Timor issue.

Mr DOWNER yesterday played down an accusation from Indonesia's President WAHID that
Australia had a childish attitude towards his country.

He says the remark was probably aimed at the Australian media, not the government.

AAP RTV daw/msk/as

KEYWORD: TIMOR AUST (CANBERRA)

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