Dili – Foreign Minister Josi Ramos Horta said Thursday he was "convinced" the United Nations would extend its engagement with East Timor beyond the end of its current mission.

"The United Nations has invested so much in East Timor that I'm convinced they will maintain a visible and credible presence" following the end of the UNMISET mission on May 31, Ramos Horta told a news conference in Dili.

The country's "conditions of security and peace are still fragile", he said, adding he was sure the UN would remain engaged on three levels: "a peacekeeping force, military observers and the civil sector" through advisers to the government.

He noted that a UN technical team was in Dili for consultations with East Timor's leadership with a view to preparing a report for UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on the possible character and framework for a continued UN presence.

The UN Security Council is expected to take a decision in March on what kind of commitment it will make to Dili following the end of the current UN Mission in Support of East Timor (UNMISET).