Government of Timor-Leste

The Government of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and the Government of Australia signed, on Tuesday, January 28^th, 2026, at the Government Palace in Dili, the Joint Declaration on the Establishment of a Parseria Foun ba Era Foun (New Partnership for a New Era), following the bilateral meeting between the Prime Minister of Timor-Leste, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, and the Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese. 

The declaration establishes a new framework for bilateral cooperation, structured around three pillars—peace and regional integration, prosperity and resilience, and people-to-people and institutional links — “recognising the strength of this partnership.” The document affirms that “Timor-Leste and Australia are partners and neighbours with a shared history, values, region, and future” and commits both governments to maintaining “continuous cooperation, consultation, and mutual respect for national sovereignty”.

In the areas of peace and regional integration, the statement reaffirms the defence of international law and the peaceful resolution of disputes, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and Australia's support for Timor-Leste's regional integration. In this regard, the Australian Prime Minister emphasises that “Timor-Leste's recent accession to the Association of Southeast Asia is a historic achievement that reflects our shared commitment to regional cooperation.”

Anthony Albanese also highlights the historical ties between the two peoples, stating that “There is a deep reservoir of respect, friendship and solidarity between the Timorese and Australian people” and that “These connections are deeply personal, forged through shared experiences during the Second World War, the Timorese struggle for independence, and the vibrant Timorese diaspora in Australia”

In his statement after the bilateral meeting, Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão said it was “a great honour to welcome Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to Timor-Leste for this Official Visit”, adding that the visit represents “an important moment in the relationship between our two countries and reflects the depth of friendship, trust and partnership between Timor-Leste and Australia”.

The Timorese Head of Government said that “our discussions today were warm, open and productive” and that both countries agreed to “establish a new partnership for a new era that reflects the maturity of our relationship and our shared future.” He also emphasised that “Our relationship has been shaped by solidarity in times of conflict and by partnership in peace” and that “today, we reaffirmed our shared commitment to a peaceful and prosperous region”.

Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão also noted that “we reaffirmed the importance of international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea”, recalling that “Our 2018 Maritime Boundary Treaty remains a powerful example of how disputes can be resolved peacefully and fairly through dialogue and law”.

On the economic and energy front, the Prime Minister reiterated that “Timor-Leste’s position on Greater Sunrise has always been clear - the natural gas from Greater Sunrise must be processed onshore in Timor-Leste”, adding that he had reaffirmed to his Australian counterpart that the country is committed to moving forward with the project in a “commercially sound, technically robust and aligned with the interests of our people”. He also indicated that the two Governments had agreed to “accelerate our negotiations to finalise the Petroleum Mining Code, the Production Sharing Contract and the Fiscal regime expeditiously”.

Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão also emphasised the centrality of human relations, stating that “people-to-people links remain at the heart of our relationship” and noting that “at a time of global change and uncertainty, Timor-Leste highly values our partnership with Australia”.

On the Timorese side, the bilateral meeting was attended by Vice Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs and Minister of Tourism and Environment, Francisco Kalbuadi Lay; Vice Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Rural Development and Community Housing, Mariano Assanami Sabino; Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Agio Pereira; Minister of Finance, Santina José Rodrigues F. Viegas Cardoso; Minister of Defence, Donaciano do Rosário Gomes; Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Francisco da Costa Monteiro; Minister of the Interior, Francisco da Costa Guterres; Secretary of State for Vocational Training and Employment, Rogério Araújo Mendonça; and Ambassador of Timor-Leste to Australia, Inês de Almeida.

The Joint Declaration also provides for the development of a Joint Action Plan, to be coordinated by the ministries responsible for foreign policy in both countries, with regular monitoring mechanisms to ensure the implementation of the New Partnership for a New Era.