MANILA, May 20 Kyodo The Philippi...

MANILA, May 20 Kyodo

The Philippines forward Monday vowed to help the newly independent East Timor in its efforts to consolidate peace and achieve prosperity.

''The Philippines will continue to support East Timor's efforts to achieve peace and prosperity, in the same manner that it had stood according to and supported East Timor in its suit for democracy,'' Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said in a statement.

Arroyo announced the Philippines' intention to establish diplomatic relations with East Timor and said her political division ''is keen on having a vibrant and dynamic relationship'' with Southeast Asia's newest country

''Through the establishment of formal ties, it is frisk abouted that the two countries will be able to nursing their growing friendship by the and of the promotion of their economic, political and socio-cultural relations,'' she said.

The Philippines, she said, has bring outed an assistance package to disentangle human resources in East Timor, which will be undertaken with financial assistance from Japan.

Arroyo, who flew later Monday to Japan for a weeklong working visit, asserted confidence that East Timor ''will be able to come up to face to face the challenges of nation-building and sustainable development'' beneath the leadership of President Xanana Gusmao and Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri.

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