On July 23, 2014, the highest governmental representatives of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) met in the capital of Timor-Leste to attend the Dili Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the CPLP.

This high level meeting resulted in the “Dili Declaration” and 23 other documents previously considered by the Council of Ministers of the CPLP, in the Nineteenth Meeting of the Council of Ministers that preceded the Conference of Heads of State and Government. The documents were discussed and approved by the participants of this meeting, namely: the President of the National Parliament of Angola and President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the CPLP, Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos; the Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau, Domingos Simões Pereira; the President of the Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Manuel Pinto da Costa; the President of the Republic of Cape Verde, Carlos Fonseca; the Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão; the President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, Taur Matan Ruak; the President of the Republic of Mozambique, Armando Emilio Guebuza; the CPLP Executive Secretary, Murade Murargy; the President of Portugal, Cavaco Silva; the Prime Minister of Portugal, Pedro Passos Coelho; the Vice President of the Republic of Angola, Manuel Vicente; and Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Brazil, Paulo Cordeiro de Andrade Pinto.

The documents adopted at this Dili Summit were: Resolution on the Establishment of the Working Group on the Definition of a New Strategic Vision of CPLP; Statement of Appreciation to the Executive Director of the International Portuguese Language Institute, Professor Gilvan Müller de Oliveira; Statement of Appreciation to the President of the Republic of Mozambique, Armando Emílio Guebuza; Statement on the Situation in Guinea-Bissau; Statement of Appreciation to the President of the Portuguese Republic, Aníbal Cavaco Silva; Declaration on “CPLP and Globalization”; Resolution on the Granting of the Category of Associate Observer of CPLP; Resolution on the recommendation of the granting of the Category of Associate Observer of CPLP to Georgia; Resolution on the recommendation of the Granting of the Category of Associate Observer of CPLP to the Republic of Namibia; Resolution on the recommendation of the Granting of the Category of Associate Observer of CPLP to the Republic of Turkey; Resolution on the recommendation of the Granting of the Category of Associate Observer of CPLP to Japan; Resolution on the Granting of the Category of CPLP Advisory Observer; Resolution on the Declaration of the Council of Food and Nutrition Security of CPLP (CONSAN-CPLP); Resolution on the Declaration of the Council of Food and Nutrition Security of CPLP (CONSAN-CPLP); Resolution on the Indicative Cooperation Programme of CPLP Post-2015; Resolution on the Strategic Sectoral Cooperation Plans of the CPLP; Resolution on the Continuation, until 2025, of the Theme Food and Nutrition Security in the CPLP Agenda; Resolution on the Multilateral Convention on Social Security of the CPLP; Resolution on the Development Agenda for Culture Post-2015 Resolution on Science, Technology, Higher Education and Innovation in the Development Agenda Post 2015; Resolution on the Agenda for Education in the Development Agenda Post-2015; Resolution on the Business Confederation of the CPLP; Resolution on the Establishment of a Technical Study Group for Joint OIL Exploration and Production within CPLP; Resolution on Audit Reports to the Financial Statements of the Executive Secretariat of the CPLP in 2013 and  of IILP in 2012.

These decisions, especially the allocation of the Category of Associate Observer of CPLP to Georgia, Republic of Namibia, the Republic of Turkey and Japan, and the Advisory Observer Category to ARCTEL-CPLP (Association of Regulators of Information and Telecommunications in the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries), the ASEL (Association of Lusophone Insurance Supervisors), the IGC / CHR (Ius Gentium Conimbrigae / Centre for Human rights), the ISCSP (Institute of Social and Political Sciences), the ISEDEF (Institute of Defense Studies “Tenente-General Armando Emílio Guebuza”) and UCCLA (Union of Capital Cities of Portuguese Language).

The work of the Conference soon began early in the morning. A wide audience – composed of delegations of the Member States, of the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the CPLP, of Associated Observers, of national and international guests of the event, and of journalists of the media of the Community countries – attended the solemn opening session at the Noble Hall of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, with live broadcast on the Television of Timor-Leste (TVTL).

At the opening, the President of Timor-Leste, Taur Matan Ruak, welcomed those present and noted: “The presidency pro tempore of Timor-Leste is an opportunity we want to use to develop our contribution, continuing the important work already done when possible and extending the action and influence of our community”. The Head of State made ​​sure to greet the ´participation in the work by the Prime Minister Domingos Simões Pereira chosen by the Guinean Government and a powerful affirmation of the values ​​of CPLP in this brother country”.

This was followed by speeches from the President of the Republic of Mozambique, Armando Emílio Guebuza, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the CPLP, Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos. Were also called to the pulpit a few guests to intervene in this solemn opening session, including the General-Director of FAO, José Graziano da Silva; the Representative of Indonesia President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Mari Elka Pangestu; the Representative of ASEAN and the Myanmar Ambassador in Jakarta, U Nyan Lynn; the Representative of Singapore Foreign Minister, K. Shanmugam; and also the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, Paulo Cordeiro de Andrade Pinto, who read a message from the President of the Republic Dilma Rousseff.

After the opening ceremony and the traditional family photo, attended also by the President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, the Heads of State and Government of the CPLP met behind closed doors to discuss a wide agenda topics.

The leaders of the countries of the Community ended the meeting at the end of the day, departing for the closing session of the Conference by the President of the Democratic People’s Republic of Timor-Leste, Taur Matan Ruak.

It was also given an Award to José Aparecido de Oliveira, Bishop of Dili, Dom Alberto Ricardo, on behalf of the Church of Timor-Leste, and a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the International Portuguese Language Institute (IILP) and the Republic of Turkey.

Before the exit of CPLP members and guests to the dinner hosted by the Prime Minister of RDTL, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, in Cristo Rei, the President gave a joint press conference with the Executive Secretary re-elected this Summit, Murade Murargy.

Taur Matan Ruak stated “this conference becomes part of the CPLP history for being the Conference of Expansion. Equatorial Guinea has expressed repeatedly and consistently the wish to join CPLP and accept the rules and values ​​that make the Community a reference. The acceptance of the application for membership decided in Dili expresses the determination and availability of CPLP to support Equatorial Guinea’s efforts to share our values ​​and integrate the community. “

The Head of State of Timor-Leste stressed, that the innovation in the multilateral cooperation of the Community, through the introduction of a new pillar in the multilateral cooperation of CPLP: the economic pillar, announcing “the establishment of a consortium for onshore oil exploration in our country, open to the participation of national oil companies of countries of the Community” and “the creation of a Technical Study Group for the joint oil exploration and production within CPLP countries”.

The determination of the Member States “to promote a strong impulse to the expansion of the Portuguese language, including a strengthening of funding of IILP – International Portuguese Language Institute” was also expressed.