Timor escalates boundary dispute with Aust

East Timor wants to drag Australia to the negotiating table over disputed maritime boundaries.

Prime Minister Rui Maria de Araujo said establishing permanent boundaries was the final step in realising East Timor's sovereignty as an independent state.

His government has initiated compulsory conciliation proceedings under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea that will require the parties to argue their case before an independent panel of experts.