President Xanana Gusmao called Thursday to the nations of the North to grant debt relief to the countries in the South, who would, in their turn seek to implement "good governance" with transparency and responsibility.

Gusmao was speaking at the summit of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of Countries (ACP), which is taking place in the southwestern Pacific republic of Fiji until Friday.

"While we call to the rich to pardon the debts of the poor of the South, we must heighten our efforts to practise good governance, with transparency and responsibility and free ourselves from corruption and bad rule", said Gusmao.

East Timor has formally applied for membership of the 78-member ACP, whose third summit is being attended by a minority of its heads of state and government. President Gusmao is accompanied by Dili's foreign minister, Jose Ramos Horta.