Lisbon – President Xanana Gusmao of East Timor said Thursday that his country's "unequal struggle" with Australia over disputed offshore hydrocarbon resources bore parallels with Dili's independence fight against Indonesia.

"Today, with the ending of occupation by Indonesia, we come up against the wrongful seizure of our natural resources by Australia", Gusmao told a conference at Lisbon University on "The Building of Timor".

Gusmao, who is on a visit to Portugal, accused Canberra earlier this week of "trying to steal" offshore riches from the newly independent nation.

A first round of sea border negotiations between Timor and Australia wound up Thursday in Dili without making significant progress, an anonymous source involved in the process told Lusa.

A second round of talks will take place in September, the same source said.