Timor Sea boundary treaty to be signed

Australia and East Timor are poised to sign a landmark agreement on a maritime boundary in the Timor Sea.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop

Julie Bishop is poised to sign a treaty establishing a maritime boundary in the Timor Sea. (AAP)

East Timor and Australia will sign a deal ending a long-running maritime boundary dispute.

It will also carve up the Greater Sunrise oil and gas reserve estimated to be worth upwards of $56 billion.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and East Timor leaders have travelled to New York for the treaty signing ceremony at the United Nations on Tuesday, US time.

The agreement establishes a maritime boundary in the Timor Sea for the first time.

Australia had sought a boundary along the continental shelf, but East Timor argued the border should lie halfway between the two countries - placing much of the oil and gas fields in its territory.

Development could be at least a decade away, with Woodside looking at the latter half of the next decade.

It could also be a while before the agreement is ratified.

East Timor's President Francisco 'Lu-Olo' Guterres dissolved the country's parliament in January to call fresh elections to end a domestic political stand-off.


Share

1 min read

Published

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world