Timor-Leste Establishes Diplomatic Relations with Kazakhstan and Signs a Memorandum on Visa Exemption with Benin
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Bendito dos Santos Freitas, formalised the establishment of diplomatic relations between Timor-Leste and Kazakhstan and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Benin on Visa Exemption for Holders of Diplomatic and Service Passports on September 24th and 25th, 2026 in New York, on the sidelines of the High-Level Week of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
On September 24th, Bendito dos Santos Freitas met Kazakhstan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mukhtar Tileuberdi, and both leaders signed a Joint Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and the Republic of Kazakhstan.
During the meeting, the two Ministers discussed prospects for advancing political dialogue and cooperation across trade and the economy, education, culture, tourism, and agriculture. The Kazakh Minister also congratulated Timor-Leste on its accession to ASEAN as the 11th Member State and expressed willingness to develop cooperation with Timor-Leste, both bilaterally and within ASEAN relations. They also discussed possibilities for cooperation at the United Nations and in other multilateral forums, particularly on sustainable development and climate change.
The signing of the Joint Communiqué formally establishes diplomatic relations between the two States and provides the framework for the development of political contacts and bilateral cooperation.
The following day, September 25th, Bendito dos Santos Freitas and Benin’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Corinne Amori Brunet, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Visa Exemption for Holders of Diplomatic and Service Passports. The Memorandum aims to facilitate official travel and diplomatic contacts between Timor-Leste and Benin, as part of the development of bilateral relations between the two countries.
Both initiatives were part of the agenda for bilateral meetings held by the national delegation during the High-Level Week of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly, which brought together Heads of State and Government, Ministers of Foreign Affairs, and representatives of United Nations Member States in New York.
Also on September 25th, Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas hosted an informal lunch with the Foreign Ministers of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP) during the organisation's Pro Tempore Presidency, currently held by Timor-Leste.
The meeting provided an opportunity to continue political and diplomatic coordination among Member States on issues on the Community’s agenda, including operationalising the resolution on the political and institutional situation in Guinea-Bissau, adopted at the 31st Ordinary Meeting of the CPLP Council of Ministers in Dili on August 19th, 2026.
On September 26th, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation accompanied the President of the Republic, José Ramos-Horta, to a meeting with the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres. The meeting addressed Timor-Leste’s participation in the multilateral system, its national accession to ASEAN, and its contribution to regional and international cooperation.
These activities advanced Timor-Leste’s diplomatic agenda during the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly through bilateral contacts and participation in regional, multilateral, and CPLP coordination mechanisms.
