09/03/2018 (Agence Europe) – On Thursday 8 March, the spokesperson of the European External Action Service welcomed the signature of a treaty between Australia and Timor-Leste the day before, in the first conciliation under the United Nations Convention on the Law on the Sea (UNCLOS). This agreement “represents a positive outcome to a long-running dispute on their maritime boundaries”, she explained in a press release. She went on to explain that the treaty will “enable the joint use of natural resources in the Timor Sea, which will bring economic benefits and contribute to sustainable development, particularly in Timor-Leste”. The treaty also “demonstrates the effectiveness of the UNCLOS conciliation process and sends a positive signal to other countries with contentious maritime boundary disputes that such disputes should be resolved peacefully and in accordance with international law”, she added. (CG)