Karlis Salna – East Timorese President Jose Ramos-Horta says a plan for a regional processing centre to be built in his country has not been on his agenda for months despite Prime Minister Julia Gillard insisting negotiations have been ongoing.

While Mr Ramos-Horta says his country has not yet closed the door on the idea, he says that even if an agreement was reached, it would take years before such a facility could be built.

Mr Ramos-Horta, who was appointed to lead East Timor's negotiations concerning the proposal, has revealed he hasn't held any discussions with Australian officials for months despite comments to the contrary from Ms Gillard.

In the lead up to a regional meeting on people smuggling held in Bali last month, Ms Gillard and Immigration Minister Chris Bowen insisted East Timor remained Australia's focus for the proposed regional processing centre.

Just two week's ago, the prime minister said the question of the East Timor processing centre "is something that Australia continues to pursue with East Timor at the highest levels".

However, Mr Ramos-Horta told AAP the last time he discussed the proposal with Australian officials was at least "two (or) three months ago".

There has been little support in his country for the so-called East Timor solution introduced by Ms Gillard ahead of last year's election, with other members of its parliament having rejected it outright.

In an interview last month, East Timor Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao reportedly all but dismissed the proposal, saying he could not justify a situation where asylum seekers would receive education and healthcare at levels better than most people in his own country.

Mr Ramos-Horta, while not completely opposed to the idea of a regional processing centre has now joined a chorus that has failed to support the plan, saying that "setting up one in Timor-Leste outside regional agreement and framework would be like a band-aid approach".