On March 12th, the Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, came back to Timor-Leste and gave a press conference after visiting the United States (New York and Washington), Cuba (Havana) and the United Kingdom (London).

In New York, the Head of Government participated in the Security Council Assembly where he referred to the UNMIT (United Nations Mission in East Timor) mandate. Xanana Gusmão highlighted that in his meeting with the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, he talked “about the extension of the UNMIT mission in Timor-Leste”.

“For this reason, until March this year, the transference of powers from UNPOL (United Nations Police) to PNTL (Timor-Leste National Police) will be concluded, where they will be relieved from policing services and, until 2012, will provide advisory services to the PNTL, which will assume all the responsibility on the ground”, informed the Prime Minister.

In Washington, the Prime Minister met with Secretary of State Hilary Clinton. In this meeting they discussed issues regarding the situation of Timor-Leste territory, as well as the Millennium Challenge Cooperation (MCC) and the Defence sector, which counts with the American cooperation.

In Cuba, the Prime Minister had a private meeting with Fidel Castro and was also received by the President Raul Castro.

“The visit to Cuba was to thank the Cuban Government for all that has been done for our students. We already have 18 graduates, besides the ones that are at this moment in the traineeship stage and still the more than 240 that currently are attending the medicine course, with the prediction to return next year in 2012”, explained the Prime Minister.

“In Brazil, I had the occasion to meet with the President of the Republic, Dilma Roussef, with whom I spoke about the cooperation program between the Brazilian and Timor-Leste Governments”, referred the Prime Minister.

Still in Brasilia, three agreements were signed with the Brazilian Government, in the education, security and justice areas.

“We went to São Paulo for a one day stay, where I meet with the São Paulo Governor, who promised to cooperate with us in any area of our draft programs, according to our needs”, he continued.

Geraldo Alckmim, São Paulo Governor and Grand-Master of the Order of Ipiranga, took the opportunity to decorate Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão with the Grand Cross of the Order of Ipiranga, which is an Order of honour reserved to national and international citizens, that have done noted service to the people of São Paulo.

The Prime Minister’s last stop was in the United Kingdom: “we discussed the g7+ process that is under our orientation and talked about a possible international aid. As the host country, we wish that this international aid may have an impact on our nation”, concluded Xanana Gusmão.