Gen Nakatani, director general of the Defense Agency, told the heads of Ground, Maritime and Air Self-Defense Forces on Tuesday to send some 700 service members to East Timor in March to assist with United Nations peacekeeping operations.

Nakatani issued the instruction after the Cabinet decided in the morning to dispatch GSDF personnel, mainly from the Northern Army in Hokkaido, to the fledgling country before it gains full independence, defense officials said.

Nakatani said at a news conference that Japan's contribution to East Timor was of "large significance."