Brazil condemned Monday rebel attempts to assassinate East Timor's President Jose Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao and expressed concerns over the situation there.
In a Foreign Ministry statement, Brazil condemned the use of violence "vehemently" and urged all concerned parties in East Timor to maintain order and settle disputes through "understanding and peaceful dialogue."
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Foreign Minister Celso Amorim extended their sympathies to East Timor's people and government, wishing for a prompt recovery of Ramos-Horta, who was reportedly in a critical condition after rebel soldiers shot him in the stomach on Monday.
Prime Minister Gusmao escaped an attack on his motorcade unscathed.
According to the statement, Amorim, who is visiting Syria, ordered the Brazilian embassy in Dili, East Timor's capital, to watch the situation in the country attentively.
The minister also asked the Brazilian embassies in Australia and New Zealand to be ready in case they need to provide assistance to Brazilian citizens.
The Brazilian government took the opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to the construction of "a sovereign, stable, democratic and prosperous Timorese State," as stated during Ramos-Horta's visit to Brazil on Jan. 30.
East Timor won independence from Indonesia in a referendum in 1999 and became a self-governing nation in 2002 after a transition period under United Nations administration.
Source: Xinhua
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