Prime Minister in an Official Visit to Togo and at the g7+ meeting
Following the work visit to Portugal, the Prime Minister and Minister of Defence and Security, Xanana Gusmão, travelled to Lome, Togo’s Capital City, for an official visit in May 29th and May 30th, taking also part in the 3rd g7+ Ministerial Meeting, Group chaired by Timor-Leste.
At Lome, the Prime Minister had a meeting with the President of Togo, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, and with his homologous, the Prime Minister Arthème Séléagodji Ahoomey-Zunu. From these meetings, which were held on May 29th, came a strong will to launch bilateral cooperation between both countries. Timor-Leste and Togo are, thus, analysing the possible common areas of interest: peace, reconciliation, development and natural resources management.
Along with the official visit, Lome also hosted, on May 29th and 30th, the 3rd Ministerial Meeting of g7+, which had the participation of 14 of the 18 countries from this Group.
The opening session had the interventions of Prime Ministers Xanana Gusmão and Ahoomey-Zunu. The Minister of Finance of Timor-Leste, Emília Pires, and the Minister of Planning, Mawussi Semodji also presided the meeting. Both Ministers carried on with the work session, having the Prime Minister been present during the two days in which the meeting took place.
During the first day’s session, each country introduced their challenges and experience under the scope of g7+. Progress was made on several issues about the structure and future of the Group itself, with the presentation of a Letter of the g7+ and the nomination of the new Presidency.
Therefore, it was decided that from this day forward, the Minister of Finance of Serra Leoa, Kaifala Marah would assume the Presidency, and the Vice Minister of Economy of Haiti, Alfred Metellus would assume the Vice Presidency.
Given the commitment and the crucial boost that the team of Timor-Leste has given to g7+ with its leadership up until this moment, the Minister of Finance was nominated Special Envoy for g7+ and the Prime Minster Xanana Gusmão was nominated as member of the Advisory Council of g7+. Díli will be the headquarters of g7+ and Hélder da Costa will remain as Secretary General.
The g7+ family has got new members, São Tomé and Principe and Yemen became part of the member states that support countries that are fragile or in a post-conflict situation.
On the second, and last day of the ministerial meeting a report of the High Level Panel on Fragile States was presented and a series of other discussions took place, namely on the framework of the development agenda for after 2015.
It was also approved a recognition and gratitude motion to the Minister for Finance of Timor-Leste, for the dedication to the group and the results achieved so far, and it was approved the Lome Communiqué.
The Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão will proceed with the work visits, now to Equatorial Guinea, where he will be from June 1st to June 4th.
To read the Prime Minister’s speech at the 3rd g7+ Ministerial Meeting, click here.
To check the photos of the official visit and of the g7+ meeting, click here.
