Defence Minister Phil Goff says he will be asking other countries for help in rebuilding East Timor.
Mr Goff is attending the fifth Asia Security Conference in Singapore, being hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, which brings together defence ministers and chiefs of defence force from about 20 different countries.
He says it is a great opportunity to listen to the broad discussion in the main sessions, but also to meet with his defence ministry colleagues in a less formal environment.
Defence Minister Phil Goff says he will be asking other countries for help in rebuilding East Timor.
Mr Goff is attending the fifth Asia Security Conference in Singapore, being hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, which brings together defence ministers and chiefs of defence force from about 20 different countries.
He says it is a great opportunity to listen to the broad discussion in the main sessions, but also to meet with his defence ministry colleagues in a less formal environment.
Mr Goff says there are probably enough countries involved in the initial intervention in East Timor.
But he will be talking to the defence ministers of Singapore, the Philippines, South Korea and Indonesia about their help after East Timor is calm again.
Mr Goff hopes to go to East Timor in due course for talks with the country's new defence minister, Jose Ramos Horta, and to visit New Zealand troops there.
Meanwhile, Mr Ramos Horta is planning trips to army barracks in four centres this morning to start the healing process in the country's violent political crisis.
The soldiers are confined to camps outside the capital, Dili, so the multi-national stabilisation force can bring calm to the area.
After visiting the serving soldiers, Mr Ramos Horta will tomorrow talk to the dissident Major Alfredo Reinardo.
He says he hopes to achieve a roundtable meeting of all sides within a week or two.
But Mr Ramos Horta is ruling out reinstating the soldiers who were sacked in March, sparking the crisis.
And Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer says the United Nations should have a bigger role in East Timor.
He says he will be talking to UN member countries about establishing a UN police force to enforce law and order in the country.
Mr Downer has made a brief visit to Dili for meetings with East Timor's President, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, the UN Representative and the Commander of the Foreign Forces.
