Series of CPLP Ministerial Meetings completed

Minister of State and of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and

Official Spokesperson for the Government of Timor-Leste

 Dili, May 25th, 2016

Series of CPLP Ministerial Meetings completed

Today’s VII Meeting of Ministers of Science, Technology and Higher Education of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries marks the end of a series of High-Level CPLP meetings convened in Dili over the last three weeks. An International Seminar on “Policies of Education and Scientific Research in the Member States of the CPLP” and the IX Meeting of Ministers of Education of the CPLP were also held this week.

Last week at opening of the III CPLP Ordinary Meeting of Ministers of Sea Affairs, Prime Minister H.E. Dr. Rui Maria de Araújo noted that it continued to be a great satisfaction for Timor-Leste to be hosting these meetings as the rotating President of the CPLP Community and he thanked “the illustrious Ministers from the other CPLP countries as will as their representatives and respective delegations for taking part.”

The XVII Meeting of the CPLP Ministers of Defense on the 19th of May, a High-Level meeting on Gender on the 10th of May, and a variety of Technical Level meetings have also been undertaken. Executive Secretary of the CPLP, Ambassador Murade Murargy stayed in Dili between the 15th and 26th of May to participate in meetings and on the 20th of May was awarded the ‘Order of Timor-Leste’ in recognition of the his endeavors to expand the universal values that are at the foundation of the CPLP.

The theme chosen by Timor-Leste for its term in the Presidency has been ‘The CPLP and Globalization’ and a key aspect as noted by Prime Minister Araújo was “to instil a new economic and business dynamic within our Community, so as to realise our potentials; both among ourselves as well as among and between our partners.” The successful First Global Economic Forum of the CPLP held in DIli in February this year was a testimony to the appeal of this theme.

Spokesperson for the Sixth Constitutional Government, Minister of State Agio Pereira congratulated all involved in convening the recent meetings and noted “Timor-Leste’s role as President of the CPLP has fostered ever closer connections with our fellow member states.” He explained that “With the CPLP members spread across four continents and integrated into various regional communities there remains great potential in our continued cooperation which has developed so effectively over the past two years.”

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