Government Strengthens Cooperation with Australia in the Area of Cybersecurity
The Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Agio Pereira, accompanied by the Director-General of the National Strategic Intelligence Service, Longuinhos Monteiro, met on September 2nd, 2025, with a delegation from the Australian Embassy in Timor-Leste to discuss the next steps in strengthening bilateral cooperation on cybersecurity. The Australian delegation included the Advisor for Governance and Economy, Fabia Shah, and First Secretaries Martin Hirst and Monica Kovats. 
The meeting followed on from earlier discussions with Australia's Ambassador for Cyber and Critical Technology, Brendan Dowling, and Australia's Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Caitlin Wilson, in which both sides emphasized the importance of strengthening Timor-Leste's digital resilience in the face of emerging challenges.
During the meeting, priority areas for collaboration already identified between the two governments were discussed, including conducting a comprehensive analysis of threats and gaps in the cybersecurity regulatory framework, providing technical support on the ground, supplying equipment and training programs, and strengthening information and intelligence sharing mechanisms. The creation of an interministerial working group in Timor-Leste, in coordination with the Australian authorities, was also discussed as a means of operationalizing cooperation in this area.
The Australian authorities reiterated their willingness to support the Government of Timor-Leste, particularly within the framework of the Southeast Asia-Pacific Cyber Cooperation Program and expressed their openness to collaborate in protecting the new submarine cable link that will strengthen national connectivity. The cooperation also provides for the definition of a joint roadmap for the protection of critical infrastructure and the mitigation of cyber risks. END
