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Congressman Sherman on U.N. Voting of Asian Countries

January 13, 2017

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Brad Sherman released the following statement in response to his conversations and correspondence with the Government of East Timor:

"In my role as Ranking Member of the Asia Pacific Subcommittee of the House of Representatives, I use every opportunity to try to persuade Asian nations to improve their voting records in the United Nations on Middle East issues. This is consistent with the goals of U.S. foreign policy and the U.S.-Israel Alliance.

"I've had conversations directly with the Founding President and Current Prime Minister of the Southeast Asian nation Timor-Leste (East Timor) and spoken on the phone with Timor-Leste's Foreign Minister; I have received a commitment that they will review their approach to Middle East issues. Only time will tell if this leads to appropriate actions."

Find Sherman's letter to Prime Minister Rui Maria de Araújo following his meeting with Founding Father Xanana Gusmao and the Prime Minister here, and the Prime Minister's response here.