During Independence Day celebrations in the capital, Port Vila, prime minister Edward Natapei has said Vanuatu will be the first Pacific Island country to secure bilateral ties with East Timor, because it supported the people of East Timor in their struggle for independence.

Mr Natapei says Vanuatu's support for East Timor began with the late Father Walter Lini who was prime minister during the 1980s.

At the United Nations General Assembly, Father Lini was one of the first government leaders to publicly support self-determination for East Timor.
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ABC Radio Australia News