Xanana Gusmao was asked on Tuesday whether he thought Australia would support Greater Sunrise gas being processed in his country rather than Darwin.
"I have confidence the current government of Australia is more open-minded than the (previous government)," he told the Global Citizen Now conference in Melbourne.
The prime minister avoided calling out the Morrison government, saying with a laugh: "I didn't want to mention names. This is the diplomatic way to say that ... but yes."
East Timor was still working towards the project's realisation and trying to overcome legislative problems, Mr Gusmao said.
He is in talks with Woodside Energy chief executive Meg O'Neill, as the Southeast Asian nation tries to finalise a joint venture agreement with the Australian company.
In a move critical to its economy, East Timor aims to start gas production from its Greater Sunrise fields in 2030 and pipe it to a site on its southern coast. Woodside, which controls a third of the project, wants it sent to an established processing hub in Darwin.
The choice of location has been the subject of years of dispute.
East Timor's gas and oilfield dispute with Australia dates back more than a decade. (EPA PHOTO)
Mr Gusmao flagged conflict as the ultimate barrier to overcoming poverty and other issues in developing nations.
At the ASEAN summit, which is also happening in Melbourne, it was revealed an Australian-developed HPV vaccine will be sent to East Timor to help the almost 430,000 women over the age of 15 at risk of cervical cancer.
The vaccine will be shipped as part of the GAVI vaccine alliance as well as donor nations.
It would be a game-changer for the nation, GAVI's Marie-Ange Saraka-Yao said.
"We hope it doesn't stop there because while there has been progress, we need to keep an eye still have 2.5 million children in region with no access to vaccines as a result of the pandemic," she told AAP.
"Now we have to catch up so we hope to continue on that with Australia - the job is not over".
There was a willingness among ASEAN nations to do more in terms of research and supply, Ms Saraka-Yao said.
"What's important is the new tuberculosis vaccine we plan to introduce in the next two years; it's quite revolutionary.
"And there's always the topic of malaria, especially with climate change."
Mr Gusmão says he is in talks with Woodside Energy to finalise the Greater Sunrise project. (Cassandra Morgan/AAP PHOTOS)
Humanitarian aid agencies and faith-based charities used the Global Citizen Now conference to urge Australian leaders to help prevent catastrophe by building up developing nations' disaster preparedness and economic strength.
The campaign calls for Australia to double its Humanitarian Emergency Fund to $300 million to help poorer nations better respond to crises and an extra $350 million to prepare them for looming disasters.
It also wants Australia's foreign aid budget expanded to 0.37 per cent of gross national income by 2027 and a bipartisan commitment for that to eventually reach 0.5 per cent.
Campaign spokesman Tim Costello said doing nothing would result in challenges becoming crises, which morphed into catastrophes.
"Investing to create a safer world for all can put the world back on the path to progress, peace and prosperity," he said.
Ten of Australia's top 15 export markets are nations once provided with foreign aid.
In the 2022/23 financial year, Australia provided more than $4.5 billion in its overall foreign aid program.
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