Government of Timor-Leste

On June 22^nd, Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão paid a courtesy visit to the President of the Portuguese Republic, António José Seguro, at the National Palace of Belém in Lisbon. During the visit, they discussed developments in the international situation and the strengthening of bilateral cooperation between Timor-Leste and Portugal. 

At the start of the meeting, the Prime Minister conveyed greetings from the President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, José Ramos-Horta, to the Portuguese President. António José Seguro, in turn, recalled the Timorese Head of State’s participation in his inauguration, held in March of this year.

During the meeting, the two leaders exchanged views on developments in the international political landscape and on issues of mutual interest. The Prime Minister congratulated Portugal on its election to a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council and expressed his hope that the country would continue to promote the values of peace, stability, and sustainable development internationally.

Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão also addressed the challenges facing the United Nations, particularly regarding the functioning of the Security Council, arguing for reforms that would enable it to better adapt to current international realities.

The two leaders also discussed bilateral cooperation in areas including justice, education, and development. The Prime Minister expressed his gratitude for Portugal’s continued support in these sectors and presented Timor-Leste’s National Strategy for the Blue Economy, which outlines opportunities to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.

The situation in Guinea-Bissau was also discussed, and the two leaders exchanged views on measures to promote political stability and strengthen the country’s institutions.

On the Portuguese side, President António José Seguro reiterated Portugal’s commitment to continuing to support Timor-Leste in its priority development areas. The Portuguese Head of State also recalled his involvement in international solidarity initiatives in support of the Timorese people’s struggle for self-determination in the 1990s.

At the end of the meeting, the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening the historic ties of friendship and cooperation between Timor-Leste and Portugal.

Vice Prime Minister Francisco Kalbuadi Lay; Minister of Justice Sérgio da Costa Hornai; Minister of Education Dulce de Jesus Soares; the Ambassador of Timor-Leste to Portugal, Manuel de Araújo Serrano; the Ambassador of Timor-Leste to the CPLP, Natália Carrascalão; and the Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, Elizabeth Exposto, accompanied the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister’s visit to Portugal also includes meetings with officials from the justice and higher education sectors, as well as initiatives related to Timor-Leste’s rotating presidency of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP – acronym in Portuguese), a role the country currently holds.