U.N. Security Council: Timor-Leste makes progress

DILI, Timor-Leste, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- In a decade of independence, Timor-Leste has made great strides, U.N. Security Council members said in an official visit.

"Low levels of violence and high levels of participation from society have been monumental achievements," Ambassador Baso Sangqu of South Africa, head of the Security Council delegation, said Tuesday. "But challenges still remain."

Sangqu said the country has "professionalized" national police and taken other steps to ensure stability. The 10th anniversary of Timor-Leste independence in May coincided with the inauguration of a new president, Taur Matan Ruak.