O'Loan to visit East Timor as special envoy

THE FORMER Northern Ireland police ombudsman, Dame Nuala O'Loan, will travel shortly to East Timor in her first visit as the Government's roving ambassador and special envoy for conflict resolution, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern has said.

The Minister made the announcement after a meeting with Ms O'Loan.

"My decision to appoint as roving ambassador a candidate of such skill and experience reflects Ireland's commitment to Timor-Leste, and our desire to be of help in finding a path from conflict to sustainable peace and development," Mr Ahern said.

"She and I today discussed elements of her role, which will be to advise the Government on appropriate measures to assist in peace building and conflict resolution in Timor-Leste.

"I expect that she will travel to Dili in the near future to assess opportunities for enhanced Irish engagement there."

The Minister said Ms O'Loan's new role was welcomed by the government of East Timor after he announced the appointment.

© 2008 The Irish Times

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times