(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-03-12 11:47

SYDNEY, Australia -- East Timorese President Jose Ramos-Horta has spoken publicly for the first time since an assassination attempt a month ago, to thank the medical staff who saved his life and other supporters.

TV grab shows East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta speaking during an interview in Darwin March 12, 2008. Ramos-Horta, critically wounded in an assassination attempt in February, spoke publicly for the first time on Wednesday, thanking medical staff for saving his life. [Agencies]

In a videotaped message broadcast Wednesday, Ramos-Horta says he is refraining from making any political comments at this stage but thanked those who prayed for him and cared for him after the Feb. 11 assassination bid.

Ramos-Horta was rushed to hospital in the northern Australian city of Darwin after rebel troops shot him outside his home in East Timor. He has undergone surgery five times and doctors say he is expected to make a full recovery.