Regardless of abiding sovereignty and boundary concerns, CMATS repre-sented the best deal available to East Timor. This is due to the absence
of alternative options, given that the path to third-party judicial settlement
was effectively blocked and Australia has given no indication that a more
favourable position may be forthcoming in the foreseeable future. Crucially,
CMATS has the potential to translate into a multi-billion dollar windfall for a
small developing State and should be assessed in that light. On this basis, and
in view of the long-term development goals it realistically brings into view,
CMATS represents a vital deal for East Timor. Here it seems best to focus on
the substantial resources and revenues potentially gained as a result of the
deal, rather than on more or less illusory tales of what might have been.