Government of Timor-Leste

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Bendito dos Santos Freitas, represented the Pro Tempore Presidency of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP) at the Symposium “CPLP 30 Years – A Community of Language and Future”, held on October 8^th, 2026, at the Belém Cultural Centre in Lisbon, as part of the programme of initiatives marking the organisation’s 30th anniversary throughout the year.

Organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Portugal, the Symposium brought together government representatives and figures associated with the political, diplomatic, and cultural path of the CPLP. The opening session featured interventions by the President of the Portuguese Republic, António José Seguro; the Executive Secretary of the CPLP, Maria de Fátima Jardim; and Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas, representing the organisation's Presidency.

In his address, the Minister advocated a more cohesive, participatory CPLP that is closer to its citizens, particularly young people, and capable of translating its principles into concrete results. He also reaffirmed the Timorese Presidency's commitment to peace, democracy, human rights, sovereignty, and cooperation within the framework of the theme “The Consolidation of the Democratic Rule of Law and the Challenges of the CPLP”.

Bendito dos Santos Freitas recalled Timor-Leste's journey within the Lusophone space, from the participation of Timorese Resistance representatives in the founding of the CPLP in 1996 to Timor-Leste's accession as an independent State in 2002. In this context, he highlighted the solidarity of the Community's nations with Timor-Leste's struggle for self-determination and noted that the country is currently exercising the CPLP's Pro Tempore Presidency for the second time.

The Symposium programme featured three panels on the CPLP's three decades of political and diplomatic development, the Portuguese language as a global asset, and the Community's future amid current international challenges. The initiative concluded with the issue of commemorative postal stationery marking the CPLP's 30th anniversary and a closing session chaired by Portugal’s Minister of State and Foreign Affairs, Paulo Rangel.

During his visit to Portugal, Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas also met on October 9th with the National Director of the Portuguese Public Security Police, Superintendent Luís Carrilho, to discuss issues related to the mobility of Timorese citizens.

The following day, as Acting President of the CPLP Council of Ministers, Bendito dos Santos Freitas attended the 10th Lusofonia Awards Gala at Casino Estoril as part of the programme marking the CPLP's 30th anniversary. During the ceremony, he posthumously presented the 2026 Lusophone Excellence Award to the former President of the Republic of Timor-Leste, Francisco Guterres “Lu-Olo”, in recognition of his career and contributions to public service.

The award was accepted by the former Head of State's widow, Cidália Lopes Nobre Mouzinho Guterres, who was accompanied by her sons, Aldino Nobre Guterres and Felezito Samora Guterres.