Government of Timor-Leste

On June 6^th, 2025, Dili hosted the 15th Ministerial Meeting between the Portuguese-speaking African Countries and Timor-Leste (PALOP-TL) and the European Union (EU), represented by the EU Ambassador to Cape Verde, following a two-days technical meeting held on June 4^th and 5^th. The opening session was chaired by the Prime Minister, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, and culminated in the adoption of the Dili Declaration, which reaffirms the ‘commitment to the continued consolidation of the PALOP-TL EU Partnership, recognizing its strategic value and its contribution to sustainable development, peace and security in the respective regions. 

At the closing ceremony, Timor-Leste took over the rotating presidency of the PALOP-TL, succeeding Guinea-Bissau, and was mandated to ‘follow up on this Declaration’ and ‘transmit it to the President of the European Commission, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the Commissioner for International Partnerships. 

During his speech at the inaugural session, Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão said that it was ‘with great pride that we welcome our brothers and sisters from the Portuguese-speaking African countries to our country so that, together with the European Union, this important cooperation partner, we can celebrate our partnership for development’. He also emphasized that “we share a unique history and heritage [...] in the fundamental principles and values that guide our States”. 

The Dili Declaration reaffirms the ‘commitment to the long-standing strategic partnership that unites the PALOP-TL and the EU, based on shared values of democracy, the Rule of Law, human rights and sustainable development’, and emphasizes ‘the importance of continuing to strengthen the Partnership, adapting it to new global and regional challenges and priorities. 

The Prime Minister highlighted the country's progress at international and regional level, pointing out that ‘Timor-Leste's accession to the World Trade Organization last year and our integration into ASEAN as the 11th Member State at the next summit, scheduled for October this year, are new opportunities to strengthen diplomatic, commercial and economic relations between our countries. 

In terms of cooperation, in the Dili Declaration the participating States ‘welcome the robust progress made by the ProPALOP-TL project in consolidating public finance management systems’, ‘recognize the significant progress made by the ProCULTURA PALOP-TL project in promoting employment and boosting the cultural sector’, and ‘underline the importance of the ProJUST PALOP-TL project in strengthening the criminal justice system, with a view to preventing and combating corruption, money laundering and organized crime.'

Xanana Gusmão said that ‘strengthening our partnership is therefore essential for sustainable collective development in our countries’, emphasizing that ‘in Timor-Leste, we want to consolidate State institutions, namely reforming the justice sector, and we want to ensure transparency and efficiency in the management of public finances. 

The meeting also approved ‘the proposed governance model for the PALOP-TL group, which emphasizes the need for a collaborative and sustainable structure. In this regard, the participants agreed to ‘guarantee the effective and permanent involvement of all the key players in the formulation, implementation, follow-up and monitoring of the projects, as well as to ‘mobilize the necessary resources for the continuity and sustainability of the actions. 

Faced with global challenges, the Head of Government called for international solidarity, stating that ‘in today's uncertain and turbulent world, solidarity and cooperation are fundamental to maintaining the pillars that sustain our collective existence, arguing that ‘only dialogue and cooperation will make it possible to maintain stability, peace and security [...] and overcome the glaring inequalities that affect humanity.’

In conclusion, he reiterated the national commitment to leading the process, expressing ‘on behalf of the Government of Timor-Leste, [...] our commitment, during the presidency that we have the honor of assuming today, to dedicate ourselves to the implementation of cooperation programs, for the benefit of the development of our countries and the well-being of our citizens and, above all, our citizens. The next technical meeting of the PALOP-TL EU partnership is scheduled for the first half of 2026, in Mozambique, and the next ministerial meeting will take place in 2027, in Brussels. END