East Timor–United States relations


East Timor-United States relations are bilateral relations between East Timor and the United States. Karen Clark Stanton is the current U.S. ambassador to East Timor.

History

Timor-Leste maintains an embassy in Washington, D.C., as well as a Permanent Mission in New York City at the United Nations. The United States has a large bilateral development assistance program, $20.6 million in 2007, and also contributes funds as a major member of a number of multilateral agencies such as the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank. The U.S. Peace Corps has operated in Timor-Leste since 2002, but it suspended operations in May 2006 due to unrest and instability.
The U.S. embassy in Timor-Leste is located at Praia de Coquieros, Dili. Karen Clark Stanton is the United States Ambassador to East Timor. Mark Anthony White is the USAID Mission Director. Roberto Quiroz is the Political/Economic/Commercial Affairs Officer. Major Ron Sargent is the U.S. Department of Defense Representative.

Aid

Political Process Development

began supporting the development of effective democratic electoral and political processes in Timor-Leste in 1999. Between 2001 and 2008, USAID gave $2,215,997 to the International Foundation for Electoral Systems to develop an electoral framework and processes, $3,619,134 to the International Republican Institute to develop political parties, and $3,728,490 to the National Democratic Institute to increase citizen participation and local governance.