Government of Timor-Leste

The Vice Prime Minister, Minister Coordinator for Social Affairs and Minister of  Rural Development and Community Housing, Mariano Assanami Sabino, and the Minister of Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture, Nelyo Isaac Sarmento, took part in the reporting session of the Timorese participants in the JENESYS 2024 (Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths) program, hosted by Ambassador Tetsuya Kimura, on April 24^th  2025, at the Japanese Embassy in Timor-Leste. 

JENESYS is a people-to-people exchange program promoted by the Government of Japan with the aim of strengthening the bonds of friendship and mutual understanding between Japan and the countries of Asia-Pacific. Since its inception in 2009, more than 1,800 young Timorese have participated in this initiative, including in online formats. In the 2024-2025 fiscal year, 121 young Timorese were selected to take part in various activities in Japan, covering topics such as Japanese cultural exchange, sport in conjunction with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and student conferences. 

During the ceremony, the young people described their experiences and reflected on the lessons they had learnt, as well as the action plans, they had put into practice after returning home. 

In his speech, the Vice Prime Minister emphasized the importance of applying the values of discipline, persistence and innovation for national progress, stating that ‘young Timorese must prepare themselves to compete on the global stage, with a capacity for innovation, professional and technological mastery’.

Minister Nelyo Isaac Sarmento emphasized the importance of these opportunities for young people, saying that ‘the participation of students in Japan is very important because they can seek knowledge, master the Japanese language and culture and better prepare themselves for future contributions to the country’. 

The Japanese Ambassador said that since 2009, more than 1,800 young Timorese have taken part in the JENESYS program, both in person and online. He emphasized that this initiative represents a platform for strengthening the bonds of friendship between Japan and Timor-Leste and expressed the wish that ‘the experiences lived in Japan serve as inspiration for young people to develop their capacity and leadership’. He also encouraged the participants to stay involved through the JENESYS Alumni Association in Timor-Leste.