The Governments of Timor-Leste and Australia, along with the Property Council of Australia NT, have announced a partnership to deliver a four-day business program in Dili from 27 to 30 October, connecting Australian and Timorese business and government.

The combined program will be known as the Darwin to Dili Business & Investment Summit and Invest Timor-Leste 2026.

Invest Timor-Leste 2026 is supported by the Australian Government, in partnership with Timor-Leste’s Vice Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs and Minister of Tourism and Environment, TradeInvest Timor-Leste, and the Timor-Leste Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The Property Council spearheads the Business & Investment Summit on Tuesday and Wednesday, with market briefings, senior industry speakers and site visits to businesses operating in Dili. Invest Timor-Leste opens with the Gala Dinner on Wednesday evening and the Invest Timor-Leste Business Forum on Thursday.

The Invest Timor-Leste Business Forum will bring Australian delegates together with Timorese companies through structured business to business matchmaking, and with Timorese government counterparts to discuss future opportunities and the enabling environment.

The program opens almost a year to the day after Timor-Leste joined ASEAN on 26 October 2025. Timor-Leste will chair ASEAN in 2029.

Property Council NT Executive Director Ruth Palmer said the program was built for outcomes.

“This is not a talkfest. This is about bringing the right people into the room to create real connections, real partnerships and real commercial outcomes,” Ms Palmer said.

“Northern Australia and Timor-Leste share geography, history and opportunity. This conference is about turning that proximity into practical partnerships.”

Timor-Leste’s Vice Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs and Minister of Tourism and Environment, H.E. Francisco Kalbuadi Lay, said the program reflected Timor-Leste’s investment priorities.

“Timor-Leste is open for business. Our accession to ASEAN has widened our market and strengthened confidence in our economy, and in 2029 we will chair ASEAN. Australia is our trusted, close neighbour and a natural partner in tourism, agriculture and energy. We welcome this delegation to Dili, and we welcome serious partners.”

Australian Ambassador to Timor-Leste Caitlin Wilson said the partnership reflected a maturing commercial relationship.

“Australia and Timor-Leste are close neighbours and close partners, and the commercial side of that relationship is growing. The Australian Government is pleased to support Invest Timor-Leste 2026. Bringing businesses together, with support from both governments, is one way that lasting commercial relationships are built.”

Timorese businesses taking part in the Invest Timor-Leste Business Forum and matchmaking are being engaged with the support of the Timor-Leste Chamber of Commerce and Industry and TradeInvest Timor-Leste, and will be supported through a readiness program ahead of October.

Australian businesses interested in attending, partnering or sponsoring are encouraged to contact the Property Council of Australia NT.

EVENT

Darwin to Dili Business & Investment Summit and Invest Timor-Leste Business Forum 2026

DATES
27 to 30 October 2026

LOCATION
Dili, Timor-Leste

REGISTRATIONS

Australian businesses can register for the Darwin to Dili Business & Investment Summit via the Property Council of Australia website.

The Invest Timor-Leste Business Forum is invite-only, however interest can be registered via email to InvestTL@prosivu.tl.

Timor-Leste OceanX Symposium: Science for a Blue Future

View the full programme at the following link: https://economiaazul.gov.tl/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/OceanX-TL-Symposium-Concept-Note-and-Agenda-21082026-Final.pdf

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The Government of Timor-Leste and OceanX, a global nonprofit ocean exploration initiative, will convene the Timor-Leste OceanX Symposium: Science for a Blue Future on Friday, 28 August 2026, at the Dili Convention Centre.

The symposium will bring together government institutions, scientists, researchers and national and international partners to translate new scientific knowledge about Timor-Leste’s marine environment into practical action for sustainable Blue Economy development.

The symposium will focus on the preliminary findings and data from OceanX’s scientific mission to Timor-Leste in November 2025, with discussions centred on marine conservation, fisheries management, sustainable tourism and future marine research.

OceanX’s scientific mission was carried out in partnership with the Government and national and international partners. The mission generated important scientific results, including seafloor mapping, biodiversity observations, specimen collections and other marine datasets, as well as stunning imagery of what lies beneath Timorese waters.

The findings deepen Timor-Leste’s understanding of its marine environment and strengthen the scientific evidence to support national decision-making, including the protection of marine biodiversity and coral reefs, establishment of the Ataúro National Park and marine spatial planning.

At the heart of the symposium is a central question: How can the scientific outputs from the OceanX Timor-Leste 2025 mission support national decision-making, advance the Blue Economy and shape future marine research priorities?

The symposium will help strengthen national capacity to conduct, interpret and apply marine science, while expanding opportunities for Timorese scientists, students and officials to participate in marine research.

Minister for Transport and Communications Attends the BATIC 2026 International Telecommunications Conference in Bali

The Minister for Transport and Communications and Chairman of the General Council of Cabos de Timor-Leste, EP (CTL, EP), Miguel Marques Gonçalves Manetelu, is participating, accompanied by a national delegation, in the 11th edition of the Bali Annual Telkom International Conference (BATIC 2026), taking place from August 24th to 28th, 2026, at the Bali International Convention Centre in Indonesia.

Organised by Telin, an international subsidiary of Telkom Indonesia, the conference is being held under the theme “Uniting the Ecosystem to Drive Interconnected Progress” and brings together representatives from governments, telecommunications operators, technology companies, and other stakeholders in the digital sector from various countries.

The participation of the Timorese delegation makes it possible to keep abreast of international developments in the areas of connectivity, submarine fibre-optic cables, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, data management, cybersecurity, and digital transformation, as well as to foster contacts with international operators and partners in the telecommunications sector.

As part of the conference, the delegation also participated in the ignitePRO Forum, dedicated to cooperation between governments and the private sector in the development of telecommunications and the digital economy.

Minister Miguel Manetelu highlighted the opportunity to learn from the experiences of other countries and companies that could contribute to the development of CTL, EP, namely in managing the national fibre-optic infrastructure. He also noted the need to establish regulatory conditions conducive to the development of telecommunications and to promote the responsible use of new technologies, including artificial intelligence, for the benefit of society and national development.

BATIC 2026 also addresses the growing demand for bandwidth and connectivity associated with the development of artificial intelligence, focusing on investment in submarine cables and data centres, the security of digital infrastructure, and cooperation among telecommunications operators, cloud service providers, technology companies, and regulatory bodies.

The Executive Director of Telkomcel Timor-Leste, Benedictus Ardiyanto Priyo, emphasised that participating in BATIC provides an opportunity for Timor-Leste and CTL, EP to establish contacts with global operators and technology companies, highlighting the role of connectivity in promoting the digital economy and improving telecommunications services in the country.

The delegation also includes the General Coordinator of CTL, EP, Pedro Lay; the Director General of Communications, Ambrósio Amaral; and the Director of the National Directorate for Communications Infrastructure, Pedro Amaral.

Speech on the Timor-Leste OceanX Symposium: Science for a Blue Future – “From Science to Action: Applying the Findings of the 2025 OceanX Timor-Leste Mission to Timor-Leste’s Blue Economy and Ocean Priorities”

Minister Agio Pereira Meets with Senior Vice President of Woodside Energy for Greater Sunrise

The Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and Interlocutor in discussions on Greater Sunrise, Agio Pereira, met on August 27th, 2026, at the Government Palace in Dili with Paul Sullivan, Senior Vice President of Woodside Energy for the development of the Greater Sunrise field, accompanied by Woodside’s Country Director in Timor-Leste, António dos Santos, to analyse progress in discussions and the next steps for the project’s development.

During the meeting, the progress achieved in recent discussions between the parties was analysed, alongside the ongoing work regarding the legal, fiscal, technical, and commercial framework necessary for the development of Greater Sunrise.

The parties also discussed studies related to the development of Timor-Leste LNG (TLNG), the concept of producing liquefied natural gas in Timor-Leste from Greater Sunrise resources, as well as coordination between the different components of the project.

Minister Agio Pereira and Woodside’s representatives reaffirmed the importance of maintaining dialogue and continuing work between the parties, with a view to advancing the discussions and studies necessary for the development of Greater Sunrise.

Woodside, an Australian energy company and operator of the Sunrise Joint Venture, holds a 33.44% stake in the consortium for the development of the Greater Sunrise fields, alongside TIMOR GAP, with 56.6%, and Osaka Gas Australia, with approximately 10%.

Government launches construction of the new Lautém Municipal Market

Timor-Leste participates for the first time in the ASEAN Film Festival in Hong Kong

Primeiru-Ministru halo vizita traballu ba Indonézia ba negosiasaun fronteira marítima ronda dahaat