Address By His Excellency the Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão
Manatutu, 23 July 2026
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July 22nd, 2026
Message of Condolences
on the Passing of Luís Represas
It is with profound sadness that we learned of the passing of Luís Represas, a long-standing friend of Timor-Leste.
Luís Represas dedicated his life to music and, over many decades, distinguished himself through an exceptional musical career.
Through the musical group Os Trovante, his path became intertwined with that of the Timorese people. In 1990, with the song Timor, written by João Monge and João Gil, Luís Represas gave voice to those who could not tell the world of the atrocities they suffered during the Indonesian occupation.
The song became a symbol of the Timorese people’s struggle for freedom and self-determination in the face of the injustice inflicted upon them.
It was sung at demonstrations and vigils by children and adults alike, expressing solidarity with the Timorese people’s struggle.
On 11 May 2016, Luís Represas was awarded the Medal of the Order of Timor-Leste.
Luís Represas performed Timor on Timorese soil for the final time in August 2019 during the commemorations marking the twentieth anniversary of the Popular Consultation of 30 August 1999.
On that evening, he was joined by the emotional and free voices of thousands of Timorese who sang together in tribute to all the sons, daughters, and friends of Timor-Leste.
The Government of Timor-Leste expresses its deepest sorrow at the passing of Luís Represas and extends its heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. END
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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers on July 22nd, 2026
The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and began with a presentation by the Minister of State Administration, Tomás do Rosário Cabral, to the Council of Ministers on the outcomes of the United Nations Conference on Local Government Reform in Georgia, the official visit to Portugal, and the ceremonies for the transfer of the remains of our beloved prelates, whose sacrifice, dedication, and testimony of hope form the foundation upon which the Church in Timor stands today.
The Minister of State Administration presented the Council of Ministers with a report on his participation in the United Nations Conference on Local Government Reform, at which participating states shared experiences and best practices and promoted strengthened international cooperation in administrative modernisation, public sector innovation, and local governance.
The Minister of State Administration also briefed the Council of Ministers on the outcomes of his official visit to the Portuguese Republic, during which agreements were reached to strengthen bilateral cooperation in administrative simplification and modernisation, electoral administration, and the preservation of the military archival heritage shared by the two countries.
The Minister of State Administration also delivered a presentation on the ceremonies marking the transfer of the remains of the late prelates—Dom Jaime Garcia Goulart, Dom José Joaquim Ribeiro, Monsignor Martinho da Costa Lopes, and Dom Alberto Ricardo da Silva—pastors who, with courage and love, stood by our people during the most difficult moments in our history. By bringing their remains to Timor, the Government reaffirms its commitment to continuing their legacy of reconciliation and nation-building.
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The Council of Ministers approved the draft government resolution, also presented by the Minister of State Administration, Tomás do Rosário Cabral, which names the Manatuto Bridge “Monsenhor Martinho da Costa Lopes”.
The naming of the Manatuto Bridge after Monsignor Martinho da Costa Lopes is a fitting tribute to one of the most notable figures of the Timorese resistance and of Christian witness in the cause of justice, peace, and self-determination, perpetuating his legacy for present and future generations and taking on paramount importance at a time when ceremonies are being held to reinter the remains of the late prelates.
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The Council of Ministers approved the draft Decree-Law, presented by Vice-Minister of Finance Regina de Jesus, which sets out the legal framework for the organisation, powers, and operations of the Accounting Council of Timor-Leste.
The decree regulates the operations of this independent technical body, established within the Ministry of Finance, which is tasked with developing accounting standards, issuing opinions and recommendations, and promoting the adoption of uniform accounting procedures harmonised with International Accounting Standards, in order to improve the quality of financial information provided by entities covered by the national accounting system.
It should be noted that the Accounting Council of Timor-Leste had already been established by Decree-Law No. 45/2025 of December 15th, as an independent technical body with technical and administrative autonomy, operating within the ministry responsible for public finance.
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Also at the proposal of the Vice-Minister of Finance, the draft Decree-Law for the First Amendment to Decree-Law No. 2/2023, of February 15th, regarding the meal allowance for workers employed at Integrated Border and Customs Posts, was approved.
This amendment to the law takes into account the need to update the amount of the meal allowance, in order to bring the amount received in line with the actual circumstances in which the work is performed and to ensure that the amount of this allowance is uniform for all employees at Integrated Border and Customs Posts. The Government has therefore decided to increase the amount of the allowance from US$7 to US$10.
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In accordance with the draft presented by the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Jesuína Maria Ferreira Gomes, the Council of Ministers decided to approve the Agreement between the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and the Republic of Vanuatu on visa exemption for holders of diplomatic and service passports.
This Agreement reflects the desire to strengthen existing relations and facilitate official visits between the two countries through the reciprocal recognition of diplomatic, official, and service passports and the granting of visa exemptions to their holders for entry into and stays in each other’s territories.
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The Council of Ministers decided to approve the Agreement between the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and the Republic of Vanuatu on the Technical Cooperation Program for Development, which was also presented by the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation.
The main objectives of the Agreement are to promote development cooperation across strategic areas, to strengthen peace, stability, and security by advancing shared values, and to establish mutually beneficial mechanisms for technical collaboration between the two States.
Through this Agreement, the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and the Republic of Vanuatu reaffirm their commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation, thereby strengthening the partnership between two Pacific island states that share common challenges and a shared goal of promoting sustainable development, prosperity, and regional stability.
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The Council of Ministers approved the draft Law Proposal, presented by Agio Pereira, Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, which requests legislative authorisation from the National Parliament regarding crimes and criminal procedure in the area of cybersecurity and the definition of the legal framework for the national cyberspace.
The purpose of this law proposal is to grant the Government legislative authorization to adopt a comprehensive legislative package on cybersecurity, comprising the National Cybersecurity Strategy, the legal framework for national cyberspace security, the regulatory framework for digital services, and the criminal and criminal procedural framework applicable to crimes committed in the digital environment, including rules on the collection of electronic evidence.
The legislative authorisation allows the Government to define new types of crimes committed in the digital environment; establish procedural mechanisms for the prevention, investigation, combating, and prosecution of cybercrime; regulate the collection and preservation of digital evidence; define the responsibilities of digital service providers and the mechanisms for notifying, removing, or blocking illegal content; strengthen international cooperation; establish a whistleblower protection system, especially with regard to the safety of minors online; and establish a national framework for governance, monitoring, response, and coordination in the area of cybersecurity.
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Lastly, the draft Decree-Law, presented by the Minister of Social Solidarity and Inclusion, Verónica das Dores, approving the third amendment to Decree-Law No. 18/2012 of April 4th, was approved.
The purpose of this amendment is to correct a legislative oversight and strengthen social protection by expanding the scope of the preschool education subsidy, in order to promote educational inclusion from the earliest stages of education. END
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Today, July 16th, 2026, the Government held the First Meeting of the Executive Committee (ExCom) of the ASEAN Chair National Organising Committee (ACNOC) for Timor-Leste’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2029 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (MoFAC) in Dili. In the afternoon, the 4th Interministerial Coordination Meeting on Timor-Leste’s accession to ASEAN and the 3rd Meeting of the National Organising Committee for the ASEAN Chair (ACNOC) were held. The meetings brought together members of the Government and leaders of State institutions to strengthen national coordination of preparations for Timor-Leste’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2029, assess progress in work carried out by the five strategic sectors, and define priorities for the next phase of preparation.
Established by Government Resolution No. 12/2026, the ASEAN Chair National Organising Committee serves as the national coordination mechanism for providing strategic guidance, oversight, and monitoring of preparations for Timor-Leste’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2029. Its structure comprises the National Council, chaired by the Prime Minister; the Executive Committee, led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation; and the National ASEAN Secretariat. Its work is organised into five strategic sectors: human resources and institutional capacity building; infrastructure and facilities; security and public order; communication and diplomacy; and finance, procurement, and strategic coordination.
The first meeting of the Executive Committee was chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Bendito dos Santos Freitas, and marked the first session of this body since its creation. The meeting aimed to review the results of the first meeting of the 14 operational subcommittees, held on July 3, to assess the overall level of preparedness, and to define strategic priorities for the coming years.
At the opening of the meeting, Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas stated that hosting the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2029 will constitute “the greatest diplomatic and organisational undertaking in the history of Timor-Leste,” emphasising that the success of this mission will require “a true Whole-of-Government approach” and a Whole-of-Nation approach, based on strong coordination among all State institutions.
The Executive Committee reviewed the consolidated reports from the five strategic sectors responsible for preparing for the Presidency, covering human resources and institutional capacity-building; infrastructure and facilities; security and public order; communication and diplomacy; and finance, procurement, and strategic coordination. Discussions focused on identifying the main cross-cutting challenges, validating national priorities, and approving priority actions for 2026 to guide the initial phase of implementing the national preparation plan.
Among this year’s priorities are enhancing human resources capacity, assessing the readiness of national infrastructure, strengthening security coordination mechanisms, developing the national strategy for communication and public diplomacy, and consolidating financial planning, resource mobilisation, and the legal preparations necessary for the ASEAN Chairmanship.
The conclusions of the Executive Committee meeting were subsequently presented at the second meeting of the ASEAN Chair National Organising Committee, chaired by the Prime Minister. The Council reviewed the report presented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation on the Executive Committee’s work, discussed the next steps in the preparation process, and reviewed the decision document from the meeting, as well as other initiatives related to the preparation for Timor-Leste’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2029.
The meetings reaffirmed State institutions’ joint commitment to ensure coordinated, timely, and sustainable preparations for Timor-Leste to assume ASEAN’s rotating chairmanship for the first time in 2029.
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On July 14th, 2026, Vice Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs, and Minister of Tourism and the Environment Francisco Kalbuadi Lay attended the official handover ceremony at the Nicolau Lobato Presidential Palace in Dili, where two specialised high-pressure cleaning and sanitation vehicles were donated by the Japanese company KANSEI in partnership with CWP GLOBAL to the National Centre for Employment and Vocational Training (CNEFP – acronym in Portuguese).
President of the Republic José Ramos-Horta, Vice Minister of Infrastructure Júlio do Carmo, Japanese Ambassador to Timor-Leste Yamamoto Yasushi, CNEFP Director Simão Tito Barreto, and representatives of KANSEI and CWP GLOBAL attended the ceremony.
The donation forms part of the cooperation between CNEFP, KANSEI, and CWP GLOBAL, aimed at technology transfer, human resource development, and the creation of employment opportunities in the sanitation sector. Since 2023, this partnership has enabled practical training for Timorese trainees in Japan and the delivery of capacity-building activities in Timor-Leste by Japanese experts.
The two donated vehicles—a high-pressure water-jet cleaning truck and a waste vacuum truck—are intended to remove sediment, sludge, and wastewater accumulated in drainage systems, stormwater collectors, and ditches, helping maintain sanitation infrastructure and improve urban hygiene.
During the ceremony, a technical demonstration of how the equipment works was also held, during which KANSEI specialists presented the operating, safety, and maintenance procedures to prepare future operators for the efficient and safe use of the vehicles.
In his remarks, CNEFP Director Simão Tito Barreto emphasised that cooperation with Japanese organisations has created new training and exchange opportunities for young Timorese, stating that “this partnership between our two countries has enabled CNEFP students to undergo training in Japan, while Japanese volunteers have come to Timor-Leste to share their knowledge and experiences. Today, the CNEFP is receiving high-tech equipment that will strengthen the application of this knowledge in our country.”
The Director of the CNEFP also added that the use of these vehicles will improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and quality of hygiene and sanitation services, and, on behalf of the institution, expressed his gratitude “for the willingness to help and the support provided.”
KANSEI President Kenzy Hasegawa said, “The delivery of these vehicles to CNEFP is part of the effort to develop Timor-Leste by training Timorese citizens and strengthening their professional skills.”
On behalf of the government, Vice Prime Minister Francisco Kalbuadi Lay thanked the Government of Japan and KANSEI for their support for the CNEFP, noting that the initiative strengthens national capacities in vocational training, sanitation, and the maintenance of public infrastructure.
The Japanese Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Yasushi Yamamoto, emphasised that the partnership between KANSEI, CWP GLOBAL, and CNEFP exemplifies cooperation between the two countries in human resources development and technology transfer, contributing to the development of local skills, job creation, and the improvement of sanitation services.
As part of this partnership, technicians from CWP GLOBAL will remain in Timor-Leste for approximately two months to provide hands-on training to CNEFP trainees in the use of the new vehicles on real-world drainage infrastructure projects. Upon completion of the training, participants will apply the knowledge they have acquired to cleaning and maintenance operations on the drainage network, thereby helping to strengthen national capacity in this area.