The first lady of East Timor, Kirsty Sword-Gusmao, has urged Australia to consider the plight of the fledgeling nation when negotiations begin later this week on establishing maritime boundaries.

The negotiations over the resource-rich waters are expected to be both lengthy and difficult, after a temporary treaty was agreed in March. The Australian-born wife of President Xanana Gusmao is in Melbourne afer publishing a personal account of East Timor's path to independence.

Day: Tell us about life in East Timor now, because we heard earlier this year in Australia that many people were starving and that people were living on less than a dollar a day. Is that still the situation?

Sword-Gusmao: Life continues to be extremely hard a struggle even for the vast majority of the population. Unemployment's very high the cost of living's also high. As you say the average daily income is very low and not really sufficient to be able to feed, clothe, educate children. I mean when you consider that most families have on average 7.5 children it's a huge chunk out of the average salary to be able to send them all to school.

Day: What can you to tackle the issue of poverty given that there are so many matters that East Timor, as a developing nation, has to deal with?

Sword-Gusmao: Well I'm doing my bit through the work of the Alola Foundation and obviously my concern is for the women and children of the country in addressing some of their huge needs through work in the education and health fields. We're trying to create a better life for particularly women and their communities give them better prospects for earning an independent income and being able to enjoy finally the benefits that independence has to bring?

Day: What about the Timor Sea Treaty with Australia, which covers the development of those rich oil and gas reserves, will that significantly change the lives of the people of East Timor?

Sword-Gusmao: Obviously it's vitally important that East Timor has access to the resources of the Timor Sea in order to be able to avoid long term dependence on foreign aid. You know the government doesn't want to be having to put its hand out for many years to come and I think it's really important that the negotiations that are about to start in a few days time are carried forward in a spirit of friendship and solidarity with the Timorese people and out of recognition of obviously the huge needs that the country has. Obviously Australia as a wealthy privileged country I think you know we should extend the hand of friendship as we've done for many years, and carry out those negotiations in a spirit of fair go for Timor Leste.

Day: Given that it is so important as you say for East Timor to maximise its return from those resources, do you feel that Australia is seeking to take too much away?

Sword-Gusmao: Look I'm not aware of the details of the negotiations but I do hope and trust that those negotiations will be carried out in favor of East Timor and out of recognition as I said for the tremendous needs of the country. You know obviously we're rebuilding from scratch in every sector and it's something that's unimaginable I think to the average Australian.

Day: Well tell us finally what you see as being in your future. I mean Xanana has taken on the role of President, you've taken on the role of first lady a bit reluctantly. What do you think the future holds for you?

Sword-Gusmao: I think it's probably going to be much of the same for us both for the forseeable future, lots of hard work lots of sacrifice of our personal wishes and our personal dreams for the sake of the country. But you know whilst I grumble about that occassionally and always wish I suppose every working mother does, that I have more time to spend with my children and enjoy their years of growing up and development, I think I consider myself to be essentially very lucky that I'm involved in work that brings the satisfaction of making a difference to the lives of lots of people, to speaking lots of languages every day which is also a very rewarding experience, of being able to participate in the rebuilding of a country which has had an extraordinary past and will have an extraodinary future I hope.