……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers on June 19th, 2026
The Council of Ministers met in the Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão Auditorium at the Ministry of Finance in Dili and opened the meeting with a presentation by the Minister of Transportation and Communications, Miguel Marques Gonçalves Manetelu, on the progress of the development and expansion of President Nicolau Lobato International Airport.
The project, developed in partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and the Government of Australia through the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP), involves modernising the runway, taxiways, aprons, control tower, passenger terminal, and various support facilities, with a revised total investment of approximately US$ 239 million.
An update was also provided on the progress of ongoing work, including the construction of the new taxiways, the apron, the coastal protection structures, and the technical facilities, as well as the main challenges in securing land and coordinating across the various components of the project. The overall schedule calls for the phased completion of the works by 2028, thereby enhancing the operational capacity and safety standards of the country’s main international airport.
****
The Council of Ministers also reviewed a presentation by the Directorate-General of Lands and Properties on the status of the process for managing state-owned land and real estate, with a view to constructing embassies for certain ASEAN countries and to renovating the Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport. It was also reported that compensation for the land occupied and required for the construction of the embassies and the renovation of the international airport will be financed through the Infrastructure Fund.
*****
The Council of Ministers approved the draft Government Resolution titled National Action Plan for the Manufacturing Industry, presented by the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Filipus Nino Pereira.
The plan sets out a series of measures to promote the development of the manufacturing industry in Timor-Leste, with the aim of contributing to economic diversification, reducing dependence on oil and gas revenues, and strengthening the competitiveness of the private sector.
Among the priorities identified are the promotion and processing of domestic products with export potential—particularly agricultural, forestry, and fisheries products—the improvement of the business environment, the expansion of access to finance, and the attraction of private investment. To support the plan’s implementation, an inter-ministerial commission will be established to coordinate, monitor, and evaluate the measures.
This initiative aims to boost domestic production, create jobs, increase exports, and strengthen the integration of the Timorese economy with regional and international markets.
*****
The Council of Ministers decided to ratify the Agreement on Defence Cooperation between the Government of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and the Government of New Zealand, signed on June 11th, 2026 by the Minister of Defence, Donaciano Costa Gomes, and the New Zealand Minister of Defence, Chris Penk.
The agreement establishes a framework for bilateral defence cooperation, with a particular focus on developing the armed forces, specifically in education, training, and other sectors considered priorities for strengthening the institutional capacities of FALINTIL—the Timor-Leste Defence Forces (F-FDTL).
With this ratification, the ties of cooperation between Timor-Leste and New Zealand in the defence sector are strengthened, establishing the conditions for the development of joint initiatives between the institutions of the two countries and for the strengthening of national capabilities in this area.
****
The Minister of State Administration, Tomás do Rosário Cabral, gave a presentation on the current status of preparations for transferring the remains of Catholic prelates who served in Timor-Leste from Portugal to the Dili Cathedral, and on the construction of the Monument to Dom Martinho da Costa Lopes in Mehara, Tutuala, in the municipality of Lautém.
The schedule for the transfer was presented; it will begin with a Mass in Portugal in July and culminate in the funeral and memorial ceremonies in Timor-Leste in September, organised in coordination between the Government and the Catholic Church. The ceremonies will include the transfer of the remains of Bishop Jaime Garcia Goulart, Bishop José Joaquim Ribeiro, Monsignor Martinho da Costa Lopes, and Bishop Alberto Ricardo da Silva, as well as the dedication of the Monument and Garden of Remembrance honouring the prelates at the Dili Cathedral.
An update was also provided on the progress of the ongoing construction work at the Dili Cathedral and in Mehara, which is intended to house the remains and preserve the memory and legacy of these prelates, prominent figures in the history of the Catholic Church and in Timorese national identity.
*****
Lastly, the Council of Ministers approved the draft Government Resolution, presented by Vice-Minister of Finance Regina de Jesus, regarding the extension and amendment of the Supplementary Agreement to the Partnership for Inclusive Prosperity (PROSIVU) Program, concluded between the Governments of Timor-Leste and Australia.
With this decision, the program’s extension through June 30th, 2030, is approved, in order to ensure the continuity of Australia’s technical and institutional support for the Government of Timor-Leste’s priority reforms in the areas of governance, public financial management, economic diversification, public administration reform, and institutional coordination. The approved amendments also update Australia’s financial contribution for the program’s second phase to an amount of up to 66 million Australian dollars and strengthen provisions related to the prevention of fraud and corruption, child protection, the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment, and environmental and social safeguards.
The Minister of Finance was also authorized to sign, on behalf of the Government of Timor-Leste, the documents necessary to formalize the amendments to the PROSIVU Supplementary Agreement. END