Timor-Leste's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation meets with her Australian counterpart to discuss response to COVID-19, labour mobility and economic cooperation
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Adaljiza Magno, met with the Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Senator Marise Payne, on February 10th, 2022, in Canberra, Australia.
The two ministers discussed a range of bilateral, regional and multilateral issues, including COVID-19, labour mobility and economic cooperation. Both pledged to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.
Regarding COVID-19, Minister Payne highlighted Timor-Leste's excellent work in implementing measures to prevent the spread of the virus.
Minister Magno thanked the Australian Government for the partnership in the development area and stated that “Australia is Timor-Leste's biggest development donor” and expressed her "gratitude for the continuous support".
The Australian minister also announced the good news that Qantas will have a permanent commercial flight to Timor-Leste and Minister Adaljiza Magno highlighted that this will allow more people to visit Timor-Leste, boosting tourism and investment opportunities.
At the multilateral level, the Timorese minister asked for the support of Australia for Timor-Leste's application to the Human Rights Council.
Regarding the labour mobility issue, Minister Payne expressed that Timorese workers are highly valued by Australian employers and stressed that Australia will welcome as many workers as possible.
Overall, Australia is committed to supporting Timor-Leste in its development goals, and Minister Payne highlighted Australia's commitment to providing technical assistance in areas needed by Timor-Leste.
The two foreign ministers concluded their meeting with the signing of a memorandum of understanding regarding the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) Program.
