Government of Timor-Leste

Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão met on Tuesday, March 25^th, 2025, at the Government Palace with Lieutenant General Rui Alberto Ribeiro Veloso, Commander General of the National Republican Guard (GNR) of Portugal. This meeting was part of his official visit to Timor-Leste, coinciding with the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the National Police of Timor-Leste (PNTL) and the GNR's presence in the country for 25 years. 

During the meeting, several areas of interest for strengthening bilateral cooperation were discussed, namely community policing, road safety, border control, and the fight against transnational crimes. The Prime Minister highlighted the GNR's contribution over the past 25 years, emphasising the importance of continuing this partnership to support the PNTL's institutional capacity building. 

After the meeting, Lieutenant General Rui Alberto Ribeiro Veloso reaffirmed the GNR's commitment to continue collaborating with the Timorese authorities. “The GNR has been present in Timor since the beginning and will always be ready to collaborate in the future. We are assisting the PNTL in enhancing its intervention and policing capacity. It's a police force that has grown and continually seeks to improve while remaining close to the population”, he stated. 

On the occasion, Minister of the Interior Francisco da Costa Guterres thanked the Timorese Government for the support provided by the GNR and reaffirmed his interest in maintaining and deepening this collaboration. The Portuguese Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Manuela Bairos, was also present at the meeting.

Commander General Rui Veloso's visit includes meetings with the Head of State, José Ramos-Horta; the PNTL Commander General, Henrique da Costa; and Portuguese military personnel stationed in the country. He will also participate in the ceremony commemorating the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the PNTL, where he was honoured with the Insignia of the Order of Timor-Leste.

The GNR's presence in Timor-Leste began in 2000 as part of peacekeeping missions and evolved into formalised technical-police cooperation in 2009. Since then, it has contributed to the development of national institutions’ capacities in public security.