Minister Agio Pereira Consolidates Strategic Energy Partnerships and Investment in Brunei
As part of consolidating bilateral relations and strategic cooperation, the Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Agio Pereira, is on an official visit to Brunei Darussalam from October 6th to 10th, 2024, accompanied by the Ambassador of Timor-Leste to Brunei Darussalam, Abel Guterres. The purpose of this visit is to strengthen diplomatic ties and explore new collaboration opportunities, especially in energy and the economy. 
On October 7th, Minister Agio Pereira was welcomed in audience by His Majesty Sultan Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam. During the meeting, Agio Pereira conveyed the warm greetings and compliments of the President of the Republic, José Ramos-Horta, and the Prime Minister, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão. The Minister expressed Timor-Leste's gratitude for Brunei's continued support, especially in its ASEAN accession process, and for the growing bilateral collaboration in Transport, Communications, Labour Mobility, Education and Tourism. The Minister emphasised the progress of the cooperation project in the energy sector, emphasising the Greater Sunrise project, which is currently in the preparation phase. As an interlocutor in the discussions on Greater Sunrise, Agio Pereira emphasised the importance of Brunei's collaboration, given its vast knowledge and experience in the exploration and development of onshore and offshore industries. The possibility of Brunei participating as a strategic partner in this project was also discussed, given its relevance to Timor-Leste's sustainable economic development. 
Also on the 7th, Minister Agio Pereira met with the Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Minister of Defence II, Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General Dato Paduka Seri Awang Haji Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof. The meeting focused on exchanging experiences and good practices in the energy sector, particularly in managing the oil and gas industries, which are fundamental to Brunei's economic growth. Timor-Leste expressed its interest in sending technicians and officials for training programmes in Brunei's oil companies, intending to acquire specialised skills in this sector and strengthen cooperation in resource exploration and processing areas.
On October 9th, Minister Agio Pereira will meet with Yang Mulia Awang Haji Khairuddin bin Haji Abdul Hamid, Vice-Minister of Finance and Economy. During this meeting, topics such as promoting foreign direct investment, strengthening bilateral trade and cooperation in economic development and food security will be discussed. 
The agenda for the visit also included a visit to Brunei LNG Sendirian Berhad, one of Brunei's leading liquefied natural gas companies, which operates continuously from the facility and has been in operation for 52 years, with a solid commitment to safety and efficiency. Since 1989, Brunei LNG has produced around 289 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas and exports mainly to Japan and other markets such as Korea, Taiwan, China and Malaysia. The Minister also visited the SPARK Centre, where he had the opportunity to see the facilities of Brunei Fertilizer Industries and Brunei Methanol Company Sdn Bhd to identify opportunities for technological and industrial cooperation between the two countries, focusing on the development of energy projects and fertiliser production, with benefits for both economies. 
