CPLP Forum in Dili Highlights Cooperation between CPLP Members and ASEAN to Address Global Security Challenges
The city of Dili hosted the opening of the meeting of the Intelligence and Information Services Forum of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP), which runs from March 24th to 26th 2025, with the theme ‘Cooperation in Intelligence and Security in the CPLP: Challenges and Opportunities in a Changing World’. The event, held on the sidelines of Timor-Leste's presidency of the Forum, takes place at the Novo Turismo Hotel and brings together representatives from the various CPLP and ASEAN member countries, emphasizing the importance of international cooperation in security and intelligence area.
At the opening session, the General Director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), Longuinhos Monteiro, emphasized the importance of this forum, which marks a unique moment, with ‘the meeting of two powerful intelligence communities, in a forum that reflects Timor-Leste's geopolitical relevance and its growing responsibility in regional and global security. 
In this context, Timor-Leste seizes this opportunity of chairing the Forum to act as a link between the CPLP and ASEAN, allowing for a more integrated and effective approach to contemporary challenges,’ he emphasized. ‘Today we collectively represent 19 countries from various continents, reaffirming our collective commitment to security, stability and global progress,’ he added.
The General Director of the NIS also addressed the ‘more complex threats’ facing the world, such as ‘transnational organized crime, terrorism, human trafficking, disinformation and the new cyber threats. Longuinhos Monteiro warned that ‘technological advances, while on the one hand promoting economic growth and innovation, on the other hand impose significant risks that require coordinated commitment between our states. In this sense, he argued that ‘CPLP-ASEAN co-operation can also create positive impacts in key areas such as maritime security, the protection of critical infrastructures and the fight against hybrid threats. 
Regarding cyber security, the General Director of NIS defended the need for ‘a collective response based on information sharing, joint training and the definition of common protocols’, emphasizing that ‘the growing interconnection between the CPLP countries makes it possible to build an integrated intelligence network, enabling the ‘collective capacity to face common threats’ to be strengthened.
In his speech, the Prime Minister, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, greeted the participants, emphasizing the importance of cooperation between the CPLP and ASEAN countries to face global challenges. ‘This meeting reflects the commitment to building a solid network of cooperation in intelligence and security, which are fundamental to facing the global challenges that mark our times,’ he said. 
The Head of Government also emphasized the need for coordinated action in the face of cyber and geopolitical threats that demand innovation and efficiency from leaders and those responsible for national security. ‘Reliable, clear and consistent information has never been as important as it is today,’ he stressed, emphasizing the negative impact of disinformation and the growing interconnectedness between economic, political and social systems.
Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão defended the need for ‘coordinated, effective and innovative action’ to face ‘the advance of emerging technologies, cyber threats and geopolitical challenges. ‘In this context, the partnership between the CPLP and ASEAN can be an essential vector for responding to the challenges of international security, particularly in the fight against transnational organized crime, terrorism and new digital threats,’ he added. 
The Prime Minister closed his speech by reiterating his ‘deep gratitude’ to all the participants and ‘Timor-Leste's commitment to continue promoting dialogue and strategic cooperation in the intelligence and security sector.’
The Forum continues until March 26th with an intense agenda of plenary meetings of the General Directors of the CPLP's Intelligence and Information Services and bilateral meetings between representatives of the CPLP and ASEAN, including visits and working sessions focused on diverse topics such as cyber security, exchange of strategic information and cooperation in the protection of critical infrastructures. At the plenary meeting on the final day, after the signing of the minutes, the Presidency of the Intelligence and Information Services Forum will pass from Timor-Leste to Angola. END
