The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Bendito dos Santos Freitas, concluded, on July 16th, 2023, a five-day official visit to Jakarta, Indonesia. During this working visit, Minister Bendito participated in the 56th Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and other related meetings, which took place from July 11th to 14th, 2023, in the Indonesian capital, under the theme “ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth”. 
At this important regional event, Minister Bendito Freitas represented Timor-Leste as an observer for the first time since his appointment as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the 9th Constitutional Government of Timor-Leste on July 1st.
During his stay in Jakarta, Minister Bendito also held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from the ASEAN Member States and some ASEAN development partners.
Among the meetings held during his visit were the 30th ASEAN Regional Forum Meeting (ARF), the 13th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (EAS FMM) and the 24th ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (APT FMM).
Minister Bendito Freitas also participated in the Signing Ceremony of the Instrument of Accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.