On January 19^th, 2026, the Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Agio Pereira, welcomed the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Phongsamouth Anlavan, and her delegation as part of her official visit to Timor-Leste from January 18^th to 22^nd, 2026. The Vice Minister for ASEAN Affairs, Milena Maria da Costa Rangel; Timor-Leste’s Ambassador to Laos, João Freitas da Câmara; and other representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation also attended the meeting. 

The meeting aimed to discuss strengthening bilateral relations between Timor-Leste and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, as well as to exchange views on matters of common interest at the regional and multilateral levels. The two sides reviewed the status of bilateral cooperation and explored opportunities for further collaboration in areas such as economic and technical cooperation, agriculture, human resource development, and institutional exchanges.

During the meeting, Minister Agio Pereira welcomed Vice Minister Phongsamouth Anlavan and her accompanying delegation, reiterating Timor-Leste’s commitment to deepening bilateral relations. The Minister also thanked the Government of Laos for its support for Timor-Leste’s accession to ASEAN, a historic milestone that was officially achieved during Malaysia’s Presidency on October 26^th, 2025.

Concrete measures to strengthen diplomatic cooperation were also discussed, including the Timor-Leste Government’s allocation of land in Dili for the establishment of the future resident Embassy of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, as an expression of the strengthening of bilateral relations. The parties also referred to visa exemption regimes for holders of diplomatic, official, and ordinary passports, which facilitate mobility and contact between the two countries.

Timor-Leste and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic have maintained formal diplomatic relations since July 2002. To strengthen regional partnerships, Timor-Leste opened its resident Embassy in Vientiane in July 2014, reflecting its commitment to deepening bilateral relations and cooperation within the ASEAN context.