Meeting of the Council of Ministers on October 15th 2025
Presidency of the Council of Ministers
Spokesperson of the Government of Timor-Leste
Ninth Constitutional Government
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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers on October 15th 2025
The Council of Ministers met at the Government Palace in Dili and approved two Proposed Resolutions from the National Parliament, presented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Bendito dos Santos Freitas.
The first Proposed Resolution aims to approve the ratification of Statutes of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries(CPLP), as approved in Luanda, Angola, on March 27, 2023.
The amendments to the Statutes were approved by all Member States during the ordinary meeting of the CPLP Council of Ministers, held in Luanda, and aim to include a fourth pillar of the Community's action — economic and business cooperation —, a proposal from the Angolan Presidency approved at the Summit of Heads of State and Government on July 17, 2021, also in Luanda, when Angola assumed the rotating presidency of the organization.
This new pillar joins the three existing ones: political and diplomatic coordination, cooperation, and the promotion of the Portuguese language and culture.
The CPLP Statutes establish the legal framework that regulates relations between member states, defining the organization's objectives, principles, organizational structure, and headquarters, as well as the rules that guide its institutional functioning.
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The second Parliamentary Resolution Proposal aims to ratify the Agreement between the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and the Republic of Angola regarding visa exemption for Holders of Diplomatic and Service Passports.
This Agreement reflects the desire to further deepen existing relations and facilitate official visits between the two countries, through the reciprocal recognition of diplomatic and official or service passports and the granting of visa exemption to their holders for entries and stays of up to 90 days.
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The Council of Ministers approved the Government Resolution project, also presented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, which approves the Agreement between the Government of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and the Government of the Lao People's Republic regarding the Exchange of Usage Rights for Land and Buildings of Diplomatic Missions.
The Agreement, signed in Vientiane on October 8th, 2024, aims to strengthen friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries, ensuring adequate conditions for the functioning of their respective diplomatic missions, based on the principle of reciprocity and in accordance with the Vienna Conventions on Diplomatic and Consular Relations.
Under the terms of Agreement, the Government of Laos grants Timor-Leste the right to use a plot of land and a building located in Vientiane, while the Government of Timor-Leste grants Laos the right to use a plot of land and two buildings located on Avenida de Portugal, in Farol, Dili, for the same purpose.
The right of use will be valid for a period of 70 years, renewable by mutual agreement, and the properties in question will be exempt from taxes and fees, as provided for in applicable international standards and the principle of reciprocity. The Agreement also establishes that the land and buildings will be used exclusively for diplomatic purposes and may not be transferred or assigned to third parties without the consent of the other party.
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The Government Resolution project, presented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation and the Vice-Minister for ASEAN Affairs, Milena Maria da Costa Rangel, regarding the criteria for designating and ensuring the continuity of Timor-Leste's focal points for ASEAN, was also approved.
The Government Resolution establishes the criteria for the appointment and replacement of focal points responsible for technical and institutional coordination between the Ministries and the ASEAN National Secretariat, ensuring the stability, coherence and continuity of Timor-Leste's technical representation in the accession process and future full integration into the regional organization.
The Resolution provides that each Ministry and public entity designates a main focal point, responsible for representing Timor-Leste in meetings of senior officials, and two alternate focal points, responsible for participating in working groups and technical meetings, who may also replace the main focal point when necessary.
Clear selection criteria are also defined based on institutional authority, technical competence, language proficiency, coordination capacity and commitment to defending national interests.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, through the Vice-Minister for ASEAN Affairs, will coordinate the process of updating, communicating and monitoring the focal points with the Directorate-General of ASEAN and the competent regional bodies.
The Resolution reaffirms the importance of continuity and stability in the representation of Timor-Leste, essential for fulfilling the commitments assumed within the framework of the Roadmap for Full Membership and national participation in the three pillars of ASEAN — Political-Security, Economic and Sociocultural.
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The Vice-Minister for ASEAN Affairs, Milena Maria da Costa Rangel, also made a presentation on Timor-Leste's post-accession plan to ASEAN, for the period 2026 to 2030, a document that defines the country's strategic vision in the regional integration process.
With the vision of a "capable, connected, and competitive Timor-Leste, fully integrated into the ASEAN Community by 2030," the plan establishes the strategic intention of transforming Timor-Leste's participation in ASEAN into concrete and measurable results, through strengthening institutional capacity, economic diversification, and the development of human capital.
Among the main commitments, the document highlights Timor-Leste's active contribution to the ASEAN Vision 2045, aimed at building a resilient, innovative, dynamic and people-centered regional community.
The strategic objective of the plan is to ensure full and sustainable integration into ASEAN by 2030, based on seven policy axes: institutional preparation and regulatory harmonization; economic integration and diversification; infrastructure and connectivity; human capital development; socio-cultural integration; environmental sustainability; and preparation for the ASEAN chairmanship in 2030.
With the rigorous implementation of this plan, Timor-Leste will no longer be just a new member but will establish itself as an active and contributing partner of ASEAN, using regional integration as a catalyst for sustainable national development and the prosperity of the Timorese people.
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The Council of Ministers decided to grant full powers to the Minister of Justice, Sérgio de Jesus Fernandes da Costa Hornai, to sign the ASEAN Extradition Treaty, a legal instrument that aims to strengthen legal cooperation between Member States in combating transnational crime.
The Treaty establishes the principles and procedures for the reciprocal surrender of persons wanted for the purposes of prosecution, trial or serving a sentence, defining the offences subject to extradition, the mandatory and discretionary conditions and grounds for refusal, as well as the applicable procedural and humanitarian guarantees.
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Finally, the Council of Ministers decided to authorize the Minister of Finance, Santina José Rodrigues Ferreira Cardoso, to negotiate with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) the Loan Agreement, with a grant component, for the National Road Improvement Project – Phase I.
The project, with an estimated budget of US$84.8 million, includes the modernization of 42 kilometers of the national highway between Lospalos and Iliomar, the rehabilitation of three bridges (Seical, Borouai and Malailada) located between Baucau and Lautém, as well as the implementation of infrastructure and institutional strengthening to strengthen community climate resilience in six high-risk sucos located between Lospalos and Iliomar, vulnerable to floods and droughts.
Funded primarily through a $75 million concessional loan and a $3 million grant from the ADB, the project aims to improve road connectivity, increase safety, and promote climate resilience in local communities, in line with the Strategic Development Plan 2011–2030 and national climate change adaptation targets.
According to the macroeconomic and fiscal analysis, this financing does not compromise budgetary stability or the sustainability of the national public debt, which remains at prudent levels and well below the international benchmark. Furthermore, the effective cost of the total existing loans is lower than the estimated return of the Petroleum Fund of Timor-Leste, ensuring that the use of this financing remains economically advantageous and sustainable, contributing to strategic investments without jeopardizing the balance of public accounts. END
Approved:
✅ 1 - Proposal for approval to Ratify the CPLP Statutes;
✅ 2 - Proposal to ratify the Agreement between Timor-Leste and Angola on visa exemptions for holders of diplomatic and service passports;
✅ 3 - Agreement between the Governments of Timor-Leste and Laos on the Exchange of Rights to Use Land and Buildings of Diplomatic Missions;
✅ 4 - Criteria for designating and ensuring continuity of Timor-Leste's focal points for ASEAN;
✅ 5 - Full powers to the Minister of Justice to sign the ASEAN Extradition Treaty; and
✅ 6 - Authorisation to negotiate with the ADB the Loan Agreement, with a grant component, for the National Road Improvement Project - Phase I.
Analysed:
➡️ 1 - Presentation on Timor-Leste's post-accession to ASEAN plan.
