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Speech by H. E. the Prime Minister, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão
Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão Auditorium, Ministry of Finance
1 October 2026
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The Government of Timor-Leste and the Government of the Republic of Cuba signed, on September 29th, 2026, in Dili, a declaration extending the validity of the Cooperation Agreement in the Field of Health—signed in Havana on September 22nd, 2022—for an additional year.
The declaration was signed by the Vice-Minister for Institutional Strengthening of Health, José dos Reis Magno, in his capacity as Acting Minister of Health, and by the Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba to Timor-Leste, Grisel Alina Aldama Inniss, thereby enabling the continuation of cooperation in the areas of medical assistance, specialised training, human resources development, knowledge transfer, and the strengthening of health services.
Cooperation between Timor-Leste and Cuba in the health sector dates back to 2003, following a meeting between the two countries’ leaders, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão and Fidel Castro, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Since then, this cooperation has included the deployment of Cuban health professionals to Timor-Leste and the training of Timorese doctors and other health professionals. The programme, initially established to train 1,000 Timorese doctors, has exceeded that goal, having contributed to the training of more than 1,500 doctors, according to data recently presented by the Cuban mission in Timor-Leste.
The presence of Cuban doctors and nurses in Timor-Leste has contributed to the provision of healthcare to the population—including primary healthcare and hospital services—and to the sharing of knowledge and experience with Timorese health professionals.
Specialised training remains a key area of this cooperation. In September of this year, 26 Timorese health professionals returned to the country after completing specialised training in Cuba, including 24 doctors and two nurses. The training covered fields such as paediatrics, radiology, oncology, cardiology, otolaryngology, psychiatry, pathological anatomy, rehabilitation medicine, and emergency and intensive care.
These professionals have been integrated into various National Health Service facilities, including the Guido Valadares National Hospital and referral hospitals in the municipalities, to strengthen the country’s capacity to provide specialised care and to support the transfer of knowledge among health professionals.
The Ambassador also highlighted Cuba’s readiness to continue training medical specialists and to develop this aspect of cooperation in Timor-Leste further.
The ceremony was also attended by the National Director of Human Resources at the Ministry of Health, officials from the Office of Health Policy, Planning, Partnership, and Development, and, on the Cuban side, the Coordinator of the Cuban Medical Brigade in Timor-Leste.
The extension of the Agreement preserves the institutional framework for ongoing bilateral cooperation in the health sector, with a focus on medical assistance, specialised training, and the development of healthcare human resources.
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