Government of Timor-Leste

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Hernâni Coelho, participated in the International Conference of Guinea-Bissau, held on March 25^th in Brussels. This was his first work visit outside of the Timorese territory.

Timor-Leste holds the Rotating Presidency of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) 2014 - 2016, and it was in the name of the organization that Minister Hernâni Coelho expressed full support to the program submitted by the Government of Guinea-Bissau, which will contribute to the political stability and economic and social development of the country. The Minister adds that a rubric was established in the Special Fund of the CPLP intended solely for cooperation with that country.

Inserted in the program submitted by the Government of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau is the Strategic and Operational Plan for 2015-2025. The Timorese Minister said that this is a key document and a milestone in the history of Guinea Bissau where national reconciliation and political stability are at the centre of the objectives to be achieved. He reiterated the importance of the experience gained through the South-South and triangular cooperation of CPLP, where member countries have accumulated valuable experience for the development process and for the restoration of democratic order of Guinea-Bissau.

For the Strategic Operational Plan, Timor-Leste contributes with 1.9 million American dollars, which will be channelled as direct contribution through mechanisms for the financing of the programs presented, and through activities to be implemented by the Technical Representation of Cooperation of the Agency for the Cooperation of Timor-Leste, headquartered in Bissau.

At the end of the conference, which was attended by 70 countries and institutions, it was stipulated that the international community would follow closely the program "Land Ranka" of development of Guinea-Bissau. This conference was able to mobilize more than 1 billion euros in cash contribution, goods and services, proposals for investments and loans with reduced rates to finance the projects envisaged in the Strategic Operational Plan.

Present at the conference were, among others, the following high entities: Mr Neven Mimica, European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, Mr. José Mário Vaz, President of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, Mr. Macky Sall, President of the Republic of Senegal, Mr. Hernâni Coelho, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Timor-Leste, Ambassador Murade Murargy, Executive Secretary of the CPLP, and also representatives of other countries and international organizations.

Prior to this conference, Minister Hernâni Coelho had bilateral meetings with the Secretary General of the Group of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (ACP), Patrick Gomes, with the Director of the Management of the External Relations Services (European External Affairs Service) and the Director General for Development Cooperation (Development Cooperation). These last two institutions of the European Union are responsible for programs of social, political and economic cooperation with Timor-Leste.