East Timor keen to join Australian guest worker scheme

Updated August 23, 2008 09:38:53
Australia's Foreign Minister Stephen Smith says he expects East Timor's Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao will push for a guest worker agreement when he meets the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd next week.

Australia has agreed to run a trial of guest workers from the Pacific Islands and East Timor is keen to take part in the scheme.Mr Smith says the matter will be discussed when Mr Gusmao visits Canberra on Monday. He says, "It has been in the context of as you would have seen publicly of involvement also with Western Australia and the Western Australian Government.""So that's an issue a matter we are expecting that both my counterpart Foreign Minister de Costa but also Prime Minister Gusmao will raise with us."