Ambassador of Timor-Leste: 'The dream has come true'

Immediately after Timor-Leste officially became the 11th member of ASEAN, the Ambassador of Timor-Leste to Vietnam, João Pereira, shared with TG&VN about this historically significant event for Timor-Leste in particular and for ASEAN in general.

ASEAN leaders witnessed the signing ceremony of the declaration on the admission of Timor-Leste into ASEAN within the framework of the 47th ASEAN Summit. (Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac)

Ambassador, what is the significance of Timor Leste's official accession to ASEAN, especially in the context of the region's efforts to promote economic integration and cooperation for sustainable development?

Timor-Leste's official admission to ASEAN after 14 years of continuous effort holds significant meaning for the country and its people.

This is not just a "dream come true," but also a powerful affirmation of our nation's journey—a journey of unwavering will, determination, and hope to become an integral part of a community bound together by shared values ​​and aspirations.

Ambassador of Timor-Leste to Vietnam João Pereira. (PH)

That is precisely what Timor-Leste strives for. We aspire to contribute to the peace , stability, and prosperity of the region. At the same time, Timor-Leste will be part of efforts to build resilience, strengthen solidarity, and ensure that no one is left behind. That is our greatest aspiration – and the reason why we want to be a part of this community.

How does Timor Leste intend to contribute to ASEAN's shared priorities, particularly in areas such as inclusive growth, green transition, and regional connectivity?

Timor-Leste's accession to ASEAN is a testament to the spirit of our people – a democracy born from hardship, now embracing the milestone of a new era of cooperation and development within one of the world's most dynamic regions.

It is a region with over 600 million people who share a vision of peace, stability, and prosperity, with goals of inclusive growth, green transformation, and regional connectivity between people, governments, and businesses. These are the aspirations and determinations of the people of Timor-Leste after becoming a full member of ASEAN.

Party Central Committee Secretary and Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung received Timor-Leste Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Bendito dos Santos Freitas, who visited Vietnam on September 16.

Vietnam and Timor Leste have potential for cooperation in many fields. How does the Ambassador assess the prospects for promoting relations between the two countries now that Timor Leste has officially become a full member of ASEAN?

The strong relationship between our two countries has been built since we established our Embassy in Vietnam, and since we gained independence. Vietnam is one of the important pillars of the region, and Timor-Leste always looks forward to cooperating with Vietnam to promote cooperation in many fields.

I believe that the immediate plan is for Vietnam to soon establish an embassy in Timor-Leste. We hope that, with Timor-Leste becoming a member of ASEAN, Vietnam will have a greater presence in our country, promoting even deeper cooperation.

For Timor-Leste, Vietnam's strategic location in the region is a significant advantage. In recent decades, Vietnam's economy has grown steadily and rapidly, inspiring Timor-Leste to desire closer ties and deeper cooperation with Vietnam.

Membership in ASEAN will also open up more opportunities for Timor-Leste to learn, exchange experiences, and pursue areas of cooperation that are of mutual interest and benefit to both countries. Timor-Leste and Vietnam began cooperating in 2002, and to date, one of the most strongly developing areas of bilateral cooperation is telecommunications and media. Over the past period, Vietnam's Telemore company (Viettel Telemore) has made a significant contribution to the development of Timor-Leste, providing its people with the most accessible and convenient telecommunications services.

We will also promote development in other areas, including agriculture, education, science and technology, information technology, and oil and gas. I understand that the Vietnamese Prime Minister has also expressed a desire to cooperate with Timor-Leste in the field of oil and gas exploration and mining, thereby boosting investment in other sectors such as agriculture and fisheries.

The question is how the two sides can work together to promote these areas of cooperation, especially after Timor-Leste became a member of ASEAN, in order to build concrete cooperation agreements and achieve more practical and effective results in the future.

Thank you very much, Ambassador!

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/dai-su-timor-leste-giac-mo-da-tro-thanh-hien-thuc-332502.html