Prime Minister will attend the 50th Anniversary Summit of the Friendship and Cooperation between ASEAN and Japan
The Prime Minister, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, travelled today, December 14th, 2023, to Tokyo, Japan, to attend the Summit Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Friendship and Cooperation between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Japan, which will be held between December 16th and 18th.
This summit aims to celebrate the existing relationship since 1973, as well as to strengthen the bonds of friendship and develop a joint vision for the future of relations between ASEAN and Japan.
During his stay in Japan, the Prime Minister will be accompanied by the Vice Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs and Minister of Tourism and Environment, the Vice Minister for ASEAN Affairs and the Timor-Leste Ambassador to Japan. Bilateral meetings are scheduled to discuss programmes and initiatives to strengthen friendship and bilateral cooperation.
The Prime Minister will pay a courtesy visit to the Emperor of Japan, His Majesty Naruhito, and participate in meetings with representatives of the Japanese private sector, including the heads of INPEX and Tsuneishi Shipbuilding.
The Head of Government will also give a lecture at the United Nations University on Timor-Leste's success in the process of establishing definitive maritime borders with Australia. The Timor-Leste Embassy in Tokyo will organise meetings with Timorese students in Japan.
At this summit, the Prime Minister will have the opportunity to thank Japan for its continued support of Timor-Leste's infrastructure development and economy and reaffirm Timor-Leste's position on joining ASEAN as a permanent full member.
The relationship between Timor-Leste and Japan as strategic partners has been strengthened through Japanese support for human resource development in Timor-Leste, which covers civil servants, civil society, students, the military and the police.
The 50th ASEAN-Japan Summit will be attended by ASEAN leaders and heads of Government, including the Prime Minister of Laos, Sonexay Siphandon ( ASEAN Rotating Chairman), the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, the Prime Minister of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, the Prime Minister of Vietnam, Pham Minh Chinh, the Prime Minister of China, Li Qiang, the Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, the Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Hsien Leong, the Vice Prime Minister of the United States, Kamala Devi Harris, the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, and international observers.
