For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
September 12, 2002

Statement by the Press Secretary
Visit by President Gusmao of East Timor

President Bush will welcome to the White House President Xanana Gusmao of East Timor on October 2. East Timor will join the United Nations as the first new nation of the 21st century on September 27. The meeting will celebrate this milestone and reaffirm the United States' strong support for an independent, stable, and prosperous East Timor.

# # #