President To Lam hosted a solemn reception for the President of Timor Leste.

President To Lam and Timor Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta at the reception. (Photo: VNA)

Warmly welcoming the President and distinguished guests of Timor Leste on a State visit to Vietnam, President To Lam affirmed that the second visit to Vietnam by Mr. Jose Ramos-Horta as President is not only a testament to the good feelings of the leaders and people of Timor Leste towards Vietnam, but also creates a new impetus to promote the Vietnam - Timor Leste relationship to develop more deeply and effectively.

The President congratulated Timor Leste on its important achievements in national construction, development and international integration, and is moving closer to the goal of becoming a full member of ASEAN.

Citing President Jose Ramos-Horta's saying that "The strength of a nation lies in the character and resilience of its people", the President affirmed that this is also a similarity between Timor Leste and Vietnam, and expressed his belief that the people of Timor Leste will successfully implement the "National Strategic Development Plan for the 2011-2030 period", aiming to "Build a fair, inclusive and sustainable nation".

According to the President, Vietnam is always proud to be one of the first countries in the region to recognize the independence and establish diplomatic relations with Timor Leste; emphasizing that after more than two decades of companionship, the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Timor Leste has grown steadily; political trust has been increasingly consolidated; and economic and trade cooperation has developed positively.

President To Lam with Timor Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta and delegates attending the reception. (Photo: VNA)

In the context of the world witnessing many complex and unpredictable changes, President To Lam said that Vietnam, Timor Leste and other countries in the region need to strengthen solidarity, make efforts to overcome difficulties and challenges, as well as seize development opportunities.

The President believes that, with the strong political will and determination of the leaders and people of the two countries, the Vietnam - Timor Leste relationship will develop deeply and strongly, for the benefit of the people of the two countries, for peace, stability, cooperation and development in Southeast Asia and the world.

In his response, President Jose Ramos-Horta expressed his gratitude to the Government and people of Vietnam for the warm and sincere welcome given to the Timor Leste high-level delegation, considering it a testament to the lasting friendship between Timor Leste and Vietnam.

The President of Timor Leste affirmed that the history of the two countries is linked by similarities in bravery, determination and resilience. Just as Vietnam has overcome many hardships to become a symbol of prosperity and progress in Southeast Asia today, Timor Leste has also overcome many challenges and has the opportunity to make a breakthrough in the journey of nation building.

Expressing admiration for the achievements that Vietnam has made in national construction and development, President Jose Ramos-Horta affirmed that Vietnam is a model that Timor Leste as well as many other emerging economies wish to follow.

President To Lam and Timor Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta presented gifts. (Photo: VNA)

The Head of State of Timor Leste said that Vietnam is an example in ASEAN and that his country wishes to continue learning from its experiences and successes over the past years; at the same time, he believes that the two countries will continue to deepen their cooperation, especially in potential areas such as agriculture and infrastructure, for the benefit of the people of both countries.

As Timor Leste moves towards full membership of the ASEAN family by 2025, President Jose Ramos-Horta affirmed that this is a valuable opportunity for Timor Leste to learn from its neighbors, as well as join hands to build stability and common progress in the region.

President Jose Ramos-Horta thanked Vietnam for its continuous support for Timor Leste on its journey to join ASEAN; emphasizing that Vietnam’s sharing played an extremely important role in the preparation work, helping Timor Leste rise strongly to become a member of the ASEAN family./.

Source: https://dangcongsan.vn/thoi-su/chu-tich-nuoc-to-lam-chu-tri-chieu-dai-trong-the-tong-thong-timor-leste-674007.html