Timor-Leste participates in the ASEAN Regional Forum Senior Officials’ Meeting (ARF SOM) in Myanmar
A delegation from Timor-Leste, led by The Secretary of State for ASEAN Affairs, Roberto Soares participated in the ASEAN Regional Forum Senior Officials’ Meeting (ARF SOM) in Myanmar on the 9th of June 2014.
As a full participant of the ASEAN Regional Forum, Timor-Leste’s delegation participated in the ARF SOM and exchanged views on various regional and international matters, such as the South China Sea dispute, the East China Sea dispute, nuclear issues, climate change, terrorism and piracy.
The delegation also held a sideline meeting with the Deputy-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Republic of the Union of Myanmar, U Thant Kyaw. In the meeting, both parties briefed each other on the respective development process of both countries and expressed willingness to broaden the scope of bilateral cooperation between Timor-Leste and Myanmar. The Deputy-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Republic of the Union of Myanmar appreciated Timor-Leste’s development progress and reiterated his country’s full support to Timor-Leste’s accession to the regional group of ASEAN.
Roberto Soares congratulated Myanmar’s ASEAN Chairmanship and expressed great confidence and support in the country’s leadership in turning Myanmar’s chairmanship theme of “Moving Forward in Unity to a Peaceful and Prosperous Community” into a reality. Moreover, the Secretary of State also commended Myanmar for its remarkable progress in transition to democracy and political reforms in the country.
Timor-Leste’s representative also briefed the participants on the country’s development process and its role in the g7+ group, and its assistance to Guinea-Bissau as part of Timor-Leste’s preventive diplomacy and conflict resolution endeavours in and beyond the region. In addition, Roberto Soares informed about Timor-Leste’s chairmanship of CPLP. Being both a Southeast Asian country and a member of the CPLP, Timor-Leste will play a crucial role in bridging the two organisations.
The Secretary of State for ASEAN Affairs, Roberto Soares, was accompanied by the Director-National for ASEAN Affairs, Dirce Carolina and Adviser for ASEAN Affairs, Francisco Lemos Dos Santos, and a TVTL journalist/reporter, Francisco Marques Ricardo.
