Government of Timor-Leste

The 1st Meeting of Ministers for Sea Matters of PLPC was held in Forte de São Julião da Barra, Oeiras, in Portugal on the 21st March 2010.

The meeting was prepared by the focus points of PLPC during the previous day, 20th March, in which East Timor was represented by Commander Donaciano Gomes.

The governmental responsibles for Sea Matters of Angola, Brazil, Cabo-Verde, Guinea, Portugal, São Tomé e Príncipe and East Timor were present at this first meeting. Mozambique was represented by its Ambassador in Portugal.

The Ministers approved the PLPC Strategy for the oceans, various specific initiatives and also the internal procedures of the meetings of Ministers for Sea Matters of PLPC.

The PLPC Oceans Strategy, now signed, had been focus of preparation since the meeting of 20th July 2009 in city of Praia and follows the need to gather efforts among the PLPC State-members to come up with a common vision of the oceans, so as to promote the sustainable development of the ocean area under each nation’s jurisdiction.

Besides the Strategy also some other specific initiatives, essential for its formulation and implementation, were approved, as follows:

- The elaboration of PLPC Oceans Atlas;

- The cooperation for the development of the respective continental platform extension projects, scientific investigation and environmental protection according to the needs of each State-member;

- The cooperation for the mineral resources research on the bottom of the oceans;

- The identification of interest strategic areas common to the PLPC State-members with the purpose to establish requirements for the creation of an Observatory of Maritime Strategic Information;

- The development of an educational project for the mobilization of teachers, students and the people in general for the importance of Sea Matters as an affirmation of the culture and maritime identity of PLPC;

- The establishment of a PLPC Sea Exhibition with the purpose to promote the sea activities, mainly in the scope of the sea environment, the economical growth, the development, the scientific research and innovation, and the creation of job and investment opportunities.

It was also decided that the next PLPC Meeting of Ministers for Sea Matters is to take place in Angola on the first quarter of 2012, where the establishment of a Sea Studies Center is to be discussed as well as the appointment of an Ambassador of Good Will for the Oceans.

The Minister of Economy and Development, Mr. João Gonçalves, was accompanied by Cadet Donaciano Gomes and by the PLPC East Timor Ambassador, Mr. José Barreto Martins, during this First Meeting of Ministers for Sea Matters.

Emphasizing the importance of the cultural and language identity of the PLPC countries and highlighting the Sea as a community distinctive and unifying fact, the Minister of Economy and Development, Mr. João Gonçalves, has congratulated himself with the final document of the PLPC Strategy for the Oceans, having stressed out their importance “as a fundamental resource for the sustainable development”.

While visiting Portugal, the Minister of Economy and Development took the opportunity to promote the technical, technological and cultural interchange near other entities in order to develop the training and qualification of human resources and others.

He has also met Mr. Basílio Horta, CEO of AICEP – Agência para o Investimento e Comércio Externo de Portugal, E.P.E. (Agency for the Investment and External Commerce of Portugal), with whom he started conversations about the possible signature of a cooperation protocol between the two institutions in order to obtain AICEP’s support in disclosing the investment possibilities in East Timor, not only in Portugal but also in the different countries where the Agency is represented.