Earlier this month, Australia and East Timor signed a treaty that drew the first ever maritime border between the two nations. It stands as the culmination of decades of bitter embroilment over the oil-rich Timor Sea. Canberra has been quick to frame the treaty – which was the first to be negotiated under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea – as a triumph of the international legal system and an example of Australia’s dedication to maintaining fair diplomatic relationships with its neighbours.
