Government of Timor-Leste

On June 11^th, 2026, in Dili, the Minister of Defence, Rear Admiral Donaciano Costa Gomes “Pedro Klamar Fuik,” signed a military cooperation agreement with New Zealand’s Minister of Defence, Chris Penk, to strengthen bilateral defence cooperation. 

The agreement was signed during a virtual meeting between the two ministers. It establishes a framework for cooperation in areas related to the development of the armed forces, with a focus on education, training, and other sectors considered priorities for strengthening the institutional capabilities of the FALINTIL-Timor-Leste Defence Forces (F-FDTL).

Following the meeting, Defence Minister Donaciano Costa Gomes “Pedro Klamar Fuik” stated that “New Zealand has been a friend and a good partner of Timor-Leste since 1999, with a relationship built on strong trust and friendship, and with contributions to our development and regional stability. It is based on these contributions that Timor-Leste considers New Zealand an important partner in establishing this cooperation.”

This is the second defence cooperation agreement signed by Timor-Leste since becoming a full member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The first was signed with Malaysia on November 1^st, 2025, in Kuala Lumpur as part of bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

The Chief of Staff to the Minister of Defence, Ana Carla Carrascalão; the Director-General of National Defence Policy, Nuno Carvalho Santos; and the Director of International Cooperation, Senior Commander Duarte Borges Loe, attended the signing ceremony in Dili. Representing New Zealand were Ambassador Helen Tunah; Defence Attaché Colonel Jeremy Ramsden; Second Secretary of the New Zealand Embassy, Chelsea Roberts; and Philip Smith, logistics adviser to the F-FDTL.

The agreement strengthens cooperation between Timor-Leste and New Zealand in the field of defence and establishes a framework for developing joint initiatives between the two countries' institutions.