The Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Fidelis Manuel Leite Magalhães, and the new Ambassador of Brazil in Timor-Leste, Maurício Medeiros de Assis, met, for the first time, on April 27th, 2021, at the Government Palace, since the delivery of his credentials to the President of the Republic, on March 19th.
During the meeting, the Minister and the Ambassador discussed the cooperation between the two countries, the political and economic situation in the country, the Government’s priorities, and the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Ambassador of Brazil congratulated the Minister and the Government of Timor-Leste for the successful response to COVID-19, both in terms of health and in managing its socio-economic impacts.
The Diplomat made a retrospective of the Brazilian cooperation projects, during the last twenty years, in Timor-Leste, namely in the education, justice and military areas. He also announced that Brazil will donate USD$ 120 thousand dollars to Timor-Leste, to support the Government in the response to the impacts of the floods of April 4th, caused by the Tropical Cyclone Seroja.
Minister Fidelis Magalhães welcomed Maurício Medeiros de Assis and recognized the vast Brazilian experience in the area of community economy and agriculture, a knowledge that will be important for Timor-Leste and will contribute to the Government’s objective of diversifying the economy and improving food and nutritional security.