Minister of Trade and Industry Participates in Business fórum on trade Cooperation between Timor-Leste and Indonesia
On July 11th, 2025, the Minister of Trade and Industry, Nino Pereira, took part in the opening session of the Business Forum on Trade Cooperation Opportunities between Indonesia and Timor-Leste, held at the Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Indonesia. The opening ceremony was chaired by Vice-Minister of Trade of Indonesia, Dyah Roro Esti, as part of an official visit by the Timorese Minister to Jakarta. 
The Business Forum brought together government and business representatives, with the aim of strengthening bilateral economic ties and exploring collaborations in strategic sectors such as trade, investment and the development of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. In her speech, Vice Minister Dyah Roro Esti emphasized that ‘Timor-Leste is not only an export destination, but also a strategic partner for Indonesia in the ASEAN region’. She also emphasized that trade between the two countries has shown an upward trend over the last five years, dominated by exports from other sectors in addition to oil and gas. 
On the sidelines of the Forum, a bilateral meeting took place between Minister Nino Pereira and Vice-Minister Dyah Roro Esti, during which priority issues on the bilateral economic agenda were discussed, including the preparation of a Memorandum of Understanding on Technical Cooperation in the Trade Sector, Timor-Leste's full membership of ASEAN and challenges affecting Indonesian exports to the Timorese market.
During the meeting, the Vice-Minister reiterated Indonesia's commitment to supporting Timor-Leste's accession process as the 11th Member State of ASEAN. She also reported that, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia and with the support of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), training programs are being developed for the 2025-2026 period, with a view to strengthening Timor-Leste's preparation for full integration into ASEAN. 
The Vice-Minister also took the opportunity to formally invite Minister Nino Pereira to participate in the next edition of Trade Expo Indonesia, which will take place between October 15th and 19th 2025 in Tangerang, Banten.
The meeting was also attended by the Ambassador Timor-Leste in Jakarta, Roberto Sarmento de Oliveira Soares, the Director General of National Export Development, Fajarini Puntodewi, the Director of Primary Products Export Development, Miftah Farid, and the Director of Interregional Negotiations and International Organizations, Natan Kambuno. END 
