The Philippines has expressed readiness to provide capacity-building assistance to support Timor-Leste’s agriculture and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sectors, Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said on Wednesday.
Lazaro conveyed Manila’s “steadfast support” for the development of Timor-Leste during her bilateral meeting with visiting Foreign Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Office.
“We are going to continue capacity building assistance to Timor-Leste through our Technical Cooperation Council of the Philippines (TCCP). The first request is on the livestock and fisheries, so the Philippines is ready through the TCCP to assist,” she said in a joint press conference.
She added Manila is also open to sharing best practices in MSME development through the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to help empower Timor-Leste’s small business sector.
Currently, the Philippines is providing various forms of technical assistance to the country, including workshops on the implementation of the ASEAN biodiversity frameworks and the ASEAN Convention Against Trafficking in Persons.
In October, Timor-Leste is set to become a full member of the regional bloc.
Potentials for cooperation
During the bilateral meeting, the two top diplomats also discussed the prospect of pursuing legal cooperation.
This potential partnership, Lazaro said, would help “send a strong and unified message” that “those who must face justice as determined by our legal systems will find no safe haven within our respective borders.”
Last May, Timor-Leste’s government decided to deport and ban former Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. from entering the Southeast Asian state for 10 years.
Teves faces multiple criminal charges in the Philippines, including several counts of murder related to crimes committed between 2019 and 2023, among them the killing of then governor Roel Degamo.
Lazaro said the two governments are also working to hold their next policy consultations early next year to identify additional areas of cooperation to develop.
Dos Santos Freitas, for his part, said Dili wants to “start reinforcing” its bilateral cooperation with Manila, particularly in areas such as education, health, human resources development, and tourism, among others.
Dili’s top diplomat is in Manila to undertake a working visit to the Philippines from Oct. 21 to 23.
The trip marks his second consecutive visit to the Philippines since assuming office in 2023, underscoring the strengthening diplomatic ties between the two nations.
Timor-Leste hosts more than 1,500 Filipinos, consisting largely of professionals in fields such as education, administration, entrepreneurship, and engineering.
The Philippines and Timor-Leste established formal diplomatic relations on May 20, 2002, coinciding with the historic restoration of Timor-Leste’s independence. (PNA)
