Mark Dodd – East Timor wants Julia Gillard's proposal for an asylum-seeker processing centre linked to better co-operation with Canberra on maritime security.

Speaking by telephone from New York yesterday, Foreign Minister Zacarias da Costa told The Australian he would meet his counterpart Kevin Rudd today to discuss the plan on the sidelines of the UN.

Despite widespread Timorese opposition to the centre, Mr da Costa reaffirmed the Gusmao-led government remained open to Canberra's proposal. He said he looked forward to hearing more about the plan during talks with Mr Rudd.

The Prime Minister first unveiled the proposal in July, saying she had asked President Jose Ramos-Horta to allow a regional processing centre to be established in East Timor.

Three months on, Mr da Costa said Dili was still waiting to learn the details. "We're open to look at the proposal coming from the government of Australia, although we haven't received anything concrete at the moment," he said.

"Actually, this is not a bilateral issue, it's an issue that concerns the entire region and the best forum to discuss this will be through the Bali process," Mr da Costa said. East Timor viewed the problem of asylum-seekers as part of broader concerns about regional maritime security, he said.

Mr da Costa confirmed widespread opposition in Dili to the Australian proposal but said the government remained open.

"We're aware of some sectors in East Timorese society from the parliament (opposed to the plan) but we're (the government) open to look at this Australian proposal," he said. "We'll leave it to them (Canberra) to put on the table any concrete details."

Any final decision would involve consultation with Indonesia while the plan and Canberra's concerns about asylum-seekers should be raised at the next Bali process meeting – a regional diplomatic grouping established in 2002 to combat trans-national crime and people-smuggling. Jakarta remains cool about a refugee detention centre on its doorstep.

Opposition immigration and citizenship spokesman Scott Morrison accused the Prime Minister yesterday of refusing to lead negotiations on her proposal. And he said Mr Rudd was more worried about being seen at the UN in New York than Dili.

"In his recent meeting with Indonesian counterpart Dr Marty Natalegawa, Kevin Rudd did not even discuss the East Timor proposal, let alone issue a joint statement on it," Mr Morrison said.

"Minister Rudd simply doesn't believe in an East Timor processing centre, is not interested in discussing it and has now washed his hands of it by standing by as (Immigration) Minister (Chris) Bowen is handed the can."