On the day that it opens its doors to the world, the Timor-Leste Commissioner for the Expo 2010 Shanghai-China, Ágio Pereira, talks to us about Timor-Leste’s first participation in a World Exposition, as an independent and sovereign Country.

How did the decision for Timor-Leste to participate this year, for the first year, in a World Exposition, as an independent and sovereign Country?

The Invitation was made to the Government over three years ago when the Chinese Organization Committee took the first preparation steps. It was then up to the IV Constitutional Government to continue with the responsibility to assure the Timorese presence in this important world event. Initially, the Ministry for Tourism, Commerce and Industry (MTCI) took on the first stages of this participation and subsequently, the Minister for Tourism, Commerce and Industry himself, Dr. Gil Alves, brought the issue to the Council of Ministers proposing the establishment of a Commission under the Council of Ministers, to assume all responsibilities of this process, including legal and contractual aspects, establishment of the infrastructure and the Secretariat, technical advisory recruitment, budget proposals, sponsors and others. I was appointed by the Council of Ministers to assume the position as Commissioner-General, while the Secretary of State for Culture and the Secretary of state for Youth and Sport are the Commissioners. Thus, the political structure was established to guide all pertinent actions for Timor-Leste’s participation at the Shanghai World Expo 2010. It was, consequently, a decision by the Council of Minister itself, to ensure the Timorese State is duly represented in this world event and, above all, to ensure that the possible benefits of this participation are guaranteed.

How has the organizational process been for this participation in Shanghai?

The preparatory process went through a necessary conceptualization of this participation, in the clearness of a Timorese philosophy for this participation. From there a Plan needed to emerge, one that reflects the expectations of our State, as I have already referred. How to reap the possible benefits of this participation? The philosophy is that this participation is a golden opportunity for our young State, risen with a Constitution still less than 8 years old but taking advantage of this opportunity to, on one hand, test it’s existing capacities and, on the other, communicate, through the Expo onto the world about what we are, what we want, where we are and where we are going to. Ultimately, we want the visitors of our pavilion and the website we have designed for our participation in the expo, and also through the Government Portal, to feel positive towards our country and our determination for success and to speak well of our country and come to Timor-Leste, be it as a tourists and/or foreign investors. That is why the plan must be guided to materialize this reasoning. Being a relatively small country, with scarce financial and human resources, we must make use of our innovative capacity, of our creativity. That is why we chose to recruit technicians with experience in this matter and have, as a general-coordinator, Joaquim Brito (Arquitect), an experienced person in the area. Max Stahl, the movie producer, and the art group ‘Arte Moris’ are also involved in the making of our pavilion and the Secretary of State for culture, Mr. Virgílio Smith and his technical team have also an active role to fit our national art and culture in the area of creative promotion of our Country. All this process, albeit with an enormous delay in terms of time availability, has been a success until now.

As would be expected, on a daily basis, we have gone through a few moments of panic, screaming sometimes, angers and frights, frustrations, all that is ‘good’ when we follow a trajectory of this magnitude and with the conscience that we are working to serve our people, therefore, it is an honour and a privilege to have received these responsibilities. As long as we don’t forget this privilege and honour, all the frustrations become drops in the ocean!

What are Timor-Leste’s expectations in regards to this participation?

As I have said, ultimately, it is to assure that all who visit our pavilion, of the almost 70 (seventy) million visitors of this World Expo, become motivated in learning more about our Timor-Leste and come visit our people and invest in our country for the national benefit. It will be six months of activities, from the 1st of May to the 30th of October, and we will have a national day, the 13th July, that the Expo Organization has attributed in which the whole day will be delivered to Timor-Leste for our promotional activities. AS for all the other countries, this national day has already a matrix program for all to follow. And we are fortunate because the President of the Republic, Dr. José Ramos Horta has already assured us of his presence, therefore, on this national day, our State will be represented by its highest entity, its Chief of State. This presence, as a figure recognized worldwide, will be an enormous additional value to our initiatives to promote our still very young country. We are also counting on the presence of other sovereignty institutions, the distinguished members of our National Parliament, the youth that is being prepared by the Secretariat of State for Youth and Sports, together with the Ministry for Tourism, Commerce and Industry. Therefore, our expectations are highly elevated since this is a rare opportunity to promote our national motto: ‘Goodbye Conflict, Welcome Development’.

Is this an experience to repeat?

Yes. That is why we have started to establish an appropriate location which was guaranteed by the Prime-Minister and with the full support of the President of the Republic. ‘Memorial Hall’ has become the Timor-Leste Secretariat for the Shanghai World Expo 2010. Events of this magnitude will always take place, in which the greater part of the United Nations members participate. That is why we have opted to start preparing ‘Memorial Hall’ and the Secretariat already with a sense of permanence to cover our State’s needs regarding its presence in the World Expos, at the same level with other States. I believe that our still very young Nation deserves this projection and thus must be done with all the dignity that our People well deserve.