Carcavelos, October 24 (AseanAll) — On October 24, 2024, the President of the Republic of Timor-Leste , J. Ramos-Horta dismissed Western concerns about Timor-Leste strategic relationship with China during an interview with Diário de Notícias at Nova SBE Campus in Carcavelos, Portugal.
The President highlighted that other Southeast Asian nations, including Indonesia and Cambodia, maintain similar partnerships with Beijing.
Speaking about Timor-Leste’s anticipated ASEAN membership in 2025, Ramos-Horta emphasized the significant opportunities ahead, noting access to a common market of over 700 million citizens with an annual GDP exceeding $4 trillion. He confirmed that Timor-Leste has been actively participating in all ASEAN meetings as part of its Observer Member status, while acknowledging the ongoing need to develop human resources to meet membership requirements.
The President expressed concern about declining Portuguese private sector investment in Timor-Leste since the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine conflict. He proposed that Portuguese companies could use Timor-Leste as a re-export platform to Asian markets, particularly through the Port of Tibar Bay, following successful models implemented by Singapore and Dubai.
During the interview, which took place during the 9th edition of the Estoril Conferences, Ramos-Horta also addressed global security challenges and called for United Nations Security Council reform. He advocated for the inclusion of nations like India, Brazil, and Japan as permanent members, suggesting a replacement of the current veto system with a majority voting mechanism.
