Brasilia – The Angolan state-owned oil company, Sonangol, has been invited to carry out prospecting and exploration for oil in Timor Leste.

The invitation was extended by the Timorese Vice-minister of Foreign Affairs and Co-operation, Constancio Pinto, during a meeting with Angolan Foreign Affairs Minister Georges Rebelo Chikoti here over the weekend.

They were in Brasilia to attend the inauguration of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff.

"We know that Sonangol is already in Asia, precisely in Singapore, and we want it to expands its activity in East Timor. We have natural resources offshore and onshore and we believe that the Angolan oil company may invest in prospecting and exploration of oil," said Pinto.

He also hoped that Sonangol could provide technical assistance to its Timorese counterpart, which was recently established as the latter lacked human resources and expertise in the oil sector.

He said Timor Leste also hoped to expand its co-operation with fellow Portuguese-speaking Angola in the sectors of infrastructure and agricultural development.

Source: http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v7/wn/newsworld.php?id=1098308