Government of Timor-Leste

On July 24^th, Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão welcomed Robyn Cahill, Minister for Trade, Business and Asian Relations of the Northern Territory of Australia, to the Government Palace as part of an official visit to Timor-Leste aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation in priority areas for both Governments. 

During the meeting, opportunities to strengthen cooperation within the framework of the Strategic Partnership Agreement were discussed, with particular emphasis on the sustainable management of the marine crocodile population, a sensitive issue for Timorese coastal communities. The visit also included discussions on education, employment, health, agribusiness, aquaculture, the environment, and technical and academic exchanges. 

The Australian delegation also met with the Vice Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, the President of the Republic, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation.

The visit involved trips to several national cultural and scientific institutions, including the Timorese Resistance Archive and Museum and the Xanana Gusmão Reading Room. The Minister also visited the Menzies School of Health Research in Dili, where she learned about ongoing efforts in public health, especially research programmes on tropical diseases like dengue fever. 

The visit is part of strengthening relations between Timor-Leste and Australia's Northern Territory, within a strategic partnership that seeks to promote mutual benefits and support the sustainable development of both regions.