East Timor considers the creation of the International Criminal Court a priority and will soon sign the UN convention establishing the tribunal, Foreign Minister Jose Ramos Horta said Monday.

Ramos Horta, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, said Dili had "no doubts" about the importance of setting up an international court and would add its support "without reservations".

Along with the international community, Dili is pressing Indonesia for rigorous trials of officers and officials charged with responsibility for human rights crimes committed in East Timor by Jakarta's security forces and proxy militias.

Ramos Horta made his comments in the Australian capital, Canberra, where he was accompanying President Xanana Gusmao on a visit.