Bilateral meeting between the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Timor-Leste and Australia on the sidelines of the ASEAN-Australia Summit
As part of the Summit to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Australia's dialogue partnership with ASEAN, which is taking place at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre in Australia, Timor-Leste's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Bendito dos Santos Freitas, held a bilateral meeting with Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Penny Wong, on March 4th, 2024. The Vice Minister for ASEAN Affairs, Milena Rangel, and their respective delegations also attended the meeting. 
During the meeting, several topics of mutual interest were discussed, emphasising the recent signing of the Timor-Leste accession protocol to the World Trade Organization (WTO).
The Australian Foreign Affairs Minister congratulated the Government of Timor-Leste on its accession to the WTO, recognising the importance of this significant step. Issues related to the continued strengthening of bilateral cooperation between Timor-Leste and Australia and Australia's firm support for Timor-Leste's accession process to ASEAN were addressed. 
The Timorese delegation to the ASEAN-Australia Summit is led by Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, who is scheduled to meet with leaders from other countries in the region on the sidelines of the event, namely the Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese. These meetings are intended to explore and promote prospects for bilateral cooperation and other matters of common interest.
