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Presidency of the Council of Ministers

Spokesperson of the Government of Timor-Leste

Ninth Constitutional Government

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Press Release

Statement by the Government of Timor-Leste regarding the Earthquakes Affecting Venezuela

The global community was profoundly saddened and distressed upon discovering the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24^th.

The images received depicting the damage caused by the severe earthquakes illustrate the extent of the destruction inflicted by this unprecedented disaster.

During this period of mourning, our thoughts, expressions of solidarity, and hopes are with the family members and friends who have lost loved ones, with the injured, and with the authorities, emergency response teams, and volunteers who are working tirelessly to locate survivors and offer aid to the victims.

The Government of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste extends its deepest condolences to the bereaved families and reiterates its solidarity with the people of Venezuela in the wake of this tragic event. END

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On June 24^th, 2026, in Lisbon, Minister of Justice Sérgio Hornai met with Rita Alarcão Júdice, Minister of Justice of the Portuguese Republic, to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the justice sector.

During the meeting at the Portuguese Ministry of Justice, the two delegations reviewed the current state of cooperation between the two countries. They identified new areas for collaboration, with a particular focus on strengthening human resources training, building the capacity of Timorese judicial authorities, and consolidating the national justice system. 

The meeting also provided an opportunity to discuss Portugal’s continued support for the Centre for Legal and Judicial Training (CFJJ – acronym in Portuguese), including the implementation of the training programme for Timorese legal trainers, scheduled to begin in 2027. They also discussed ways to deepen cooperation between the two countries’ judicial training institutions, modernise registry and notary services, and share best practices to bring the justice system closer to citizens.

During the meeting, the Minister of Justice extended an official invitation to his Portuguese counterpart to attend the 19th Conference of Ministers of Justice of Portuguese-Speaking Countries, scheduled to take place in Dili in October 2026. Hosting the conference is part of the responsibilities assumed by Timor-Leste during its Pro Tempore Presidency of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP). It aims to promote cooperation among Member States in the field of justice.

On that occasion, the Portuguese Minister of Justice presented the Minister of Justice of Timor-Leste with copies of the compendium of Timor-Leste’s legislation, produced by the Portuguese Directorate-General for Justice Policy. The publication, which is Volume II of the collection, compiles and organises relevant legal instruments to facilitate access to legislation and support the development of the Timorese justice system.

While still in Lisbon, the Minister of Justice met with Appellate Judge Edgar Taborda Lopes, Director of Portugal’s Centre for Judicial Studies (CEJ – acronym in Portuguese), at CEJ’s offices in Largo do Limoeiro. The meeting provided an opportunity to explore ways to strengthen cooperation on training and capacity building for human resources in the justice sector, including judges, prosecutors, public defenders, and other judicial professionals. They also discussed continuing collaboration on the 8th Training Course for Judges, Prosecutors, and Public Defenders, as well as the possibility of CEJ support for the pedagogical training of future national trainers for the Centre for Legal and Judicial Training.

The Minister of Justice was accompanied by Manuel Serrano, the Ambassador of Timor-Leste to Portugal; Nelinho Vital, the Director-General of Justice Policy at the Ministry of Justice; Flaviano Leão Moniz, the Justice Attaché of Timor-Leste to the United Kingdom; and Legal Advisor Mariana Machado Gomes.

Milena Rangel, Vice Minister for ASEAN Affairs and Timor-Leste’s Lead Representative at the ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM), participated in the 23rd ASEAN-Canada Dialogue on June 24^th, 2026, held at the ASEAN Secretariat headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesia.

During the meeting, participants reviewed the current status of the implementation of the ASEAN-Canada Strategic Partnership and discussed priorities to deepen cooperation between the two sides. Representatives from ASEAN member states and Canada reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collaboration in areas of mutual interest and approved the new Action Plan for the Implementation of the ASEAN-Canada Strategic Partnership for 2026–2030, which is scheduled to be formally adopted at the ASEAN-Canada Ministerial Meeting in July 2026.

During the meeting, participants also noted the implementation of measures set out in the 2021–2025 Action Plan and discussed priorities for future cooperation across the three pillars of the ASEAN Community. The areas identified include maritime cooperation, combating transnational crime and cybercrime, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, trade and investment, energy, food security, science, technology, and innovation, digital integration, education, tourism, health, disaster management, connectivity, sustainable development, and climate action.

The participants also expressed their hope that negotiations on the ASEAN-Canada Free Trade Agreement would conclude later this year, with a view to strengthening economic relations and improving market access for companies on both sides.

The meeting also provided an opportunity to exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest, including the challenges posed by geopolitical tensions, global energy security, and developments in Myanmar, the South China Sea, and the Middle East.

The dialogue was co-chaired by Phongsavanh Sisoulath, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Laos’ SOM Leader, and Weldon Epp, Canada’s Assistant Deputy Minister for the Indo-Pacific at Global Affairs Canada and Canada’s SOM Leader. Senior representatives from ASEAN Member States and the Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for the Political-Security Community also participated.

Canada has been an ASEAN Dialogue Partner since 1977, and 2027 will mark the 50th anniversary of the ASEAN-Canada dialogue.