The ADF and Timor-Leste : looking towards 2020

Australia has had a long, often indifferent, and occasionally troubled relationship with the territory that’s now the independent Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. The character of that relationship has affected (and will continue to affect) the ability of Australia to respond to developing circumstances in Timor-Leste. In particular, Australia’s defence commitment to Timor‑Leste has been critical on two occasions, raising the question of how it should position itself—with the agreement of the Timor-Leste Government—over the period to 2020.