On July 24th, 2023, Singapore’s Foreign Minister, Vivian Balakrishnan, announced that Singapore will soon establish an embassy in Dili, Timor-Leste.

The announcement was made during a joint press conference with his Timorese counterpart, Bendito dos Santos Freitas, in Dili and was considered a “significant milestone” for both countries.

Vivian Balakrishnan stated that “as Timor-Leste continues to develop as a country and nation, especially with its membership of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), we believe the time is right to establish a resident embassy to be the focal point for our cooperation, support and mutual exploration of future opportunities”.

According to a statement from Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, cooperation between the two countries will cover areas such as investment, tourism, defence, and energy.

Singapore currently has a non-resident ambassador to Timor-Leste, Robin Hu, who will continue in office until a permanent ambassador is appointed.

Singapore will be the sixth ASEAN country to open an embassy in Timor-Leste, joining Brunei, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.

During his official visit to Timor-Leste, Minister Vivian Balakrishnan had meetings with various officials, including the Prime Minister, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, the Vice Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs and Minister for Tourism and Environment, Francisco Kalbuadi Lay and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Bendito dos Santos Freitas, as well as the President of the Republic, José Ramos-Horta.