On June 11th, 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 1st, 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.