Prime Minister Scott Morrison is hoping for a "new chapter" in Australia's relationship with East Timor as he prepares to sign a maritime boundary treaty.
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Mr Morrison is set to touch down in East Timor on Friday and will be treated to an official lunch hosted by prime minister Taur Matan Ruak before an official ceremony to ratify the treaty to split revenue from the Greater Sunrise oil and gas fields.
"This is a new chapter for Australia and Timor-Leste that is based on our shared respect, interests and values," Mr Morrison said ahead of the visit.
Mr Morrison is the first Australian prime minister to visit East Timor in nearly 12 years, as the young nation marks 20 years since its vote for independence from Indonesia.
"Timor-Leste has made incredible progress in the last 20 years and we want to be there to help Timor-Leste grow for the next 20 and beyond," Mr Morrison said.
Australia played a major role in that period when East Timor broke away from Indonesia.
Australia led and contributed the majority of troops to the INTERFET multinational peacekeeping force, which confronted widespread violence and intimidation carried out by pro-Indonesia militias led by Eurico Guterres ahead of the referendum 20 years ago.
Mr Morrison will be joined by Foreign Minister Marise Payne, as well as Labor Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese.
The prime minister will also pledge the government's support for a subsea fibre optic cable linking the two nations, with Australia to fund the first engineering and design steps.
East Timor is one of the few nations in the world without a fibre optic internet connection, leaving it with internet cost and speed issues.
During his visit, Mr Morrison will also announce a maritime security package, with Australia to gift two Guardian Class Patrol Boats in 2023.
The package includes funding support for new facilities at a naval base on East Timor's north coast.
Despite Mr Morrison's hopes for a "new chapter", a bugging scandal from 2004 will hound him.
A former Australian spy known only as Witness K and his lawyer Bernard Collaery have been charged over allegedly conspiring to share secret information with the East Timorese government.
At the time, Australia and East Timor were negotiating a lucrative oil and gas deal.
Former East Timor president Jose Ramos-Horta says Australia "should get over it" and drop charges against the two whistleblowers.
Australian Associated Press
