Today, the Nicolau Lobato Presidential Palace hosted the inaugural session of the 25th anniversary celebrations of the International Force for East Timor (INTERFET), with a series of lectures on the theme “Configuring INTERFET’s Intervention: The Case of Timor-Leste”. This event, promoted by the President of the Republic, José Ramos-Horta, included the participation of the Prime Minister, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, as a speaker, and the Minister for the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Agio Pereira, who moderated the discussion session. 

The lecture session, part of the Presidential Lecture Series, brought together a distinguished selection of international speakers who played key roles during INTERFET’s intervention. Speakers included Professor David Kilcullen; President José Ramos-Horta; Tamrat Samuel, former UN representative in Timor-Leste; Ambassador Fernando d’Oliveira Neves, from Portugal; Ambassador Dino Patti Djalal, from Indonesia; Penelope Wensley AC, former Governor General of Australia; Major General Michael Smith AO, and General Sir Peter Cosgrove AK CVO MC, who led INTERFET in 1999.

Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão also shared reflections on this landmark moment in Timor-Leste’s history, pointing out that INTERFET has become a model for peacekeeping operations around the world.

This event provided an opportunity for guest speakers to reflect on their individual contributions and perspectives before and during INTERFET, and for young Timorese leaders to hear first-hand about the sacrifices made by previous generations. 

The commemorations continue tomorrow with a parade from the Port of Dili to the Presidential Palace, followed by the blessing of the INTERFET Memorial, located on the former heliport used by the peacekeeping force next to the Presidential Palace. These activities will take place between 7am and 10am, with the official opening by the President of the Republic, José Ramos-Horta, and speeches by Minister Agio Pereira and the former INTERFET Commander, Martyn Dun, at the inauguration of the memorial.

Between 4:30pm and 8:30pm, futsal matches and a concert will take place in the Presidential Palace and on the adjacent futsal field. The first game, a women’s soccer match, will pit the Ministry of Defense against the F-FDTL, and the second game will be between a team from Timor-Leste and a team from the United Nations. The concert will feature performances by the Smith Brothers, Australian Army, F-FDTL & Gurkhas, and Dili All Stars.

On September 20, the date marking the arrival of INTERFET in Timor-Leste, a solemn ceremony and a futsal tournament between national veterans and former INTERFET members will be held at the headquarters of the Council of National Liberation Fighters (CCLN), between 8:00 and 11:30.