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Pentagon Official Talks up Timor Ties

Pentagon Official Talks up Timor Ties

President Francisco Guterres Lu-Olo (pictured centre) with regional Vice-Secretary for US Defence, Chris R. Johnstone at the Presidential Palace Thursday (Image/supplied)

DILI, 24 October 2019 (TATOLI) – A senior Pentagon official has told Timor-Leste’s President Francisco Guterres Lu Olo there is some room to improve Defense ties between the two countries.

In his first visit to the country, Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Southeast Asia, Chris R. Johnstone met President Lu Olo in Dili on Friday.

“The principal propose of the visit is to discuss with the president the tactics that we will use to strengthen Defense cooperation in the future,” Mr Johnstone said after the meeting.

He said that it was the right time to visit from his home base of Washington, where he serves as a senior regional civilian leader.

His is just the latest in a flurry of diplomatic and military visits to Dili in the past fortnight. Representatives from China, South Korea and Russia all talked of strengthening defense cooperation during talks with their Timorese counterparts. Defence Minister Filomeno Paixão de Jesus heaped praise on China earlier this month for its continued assistance in training F-FDTL naval personnel. And it comes at the same time western allies have voiced concerns about the rising power’s claims to the South China Sea.

Chris R. Johnstone said he agreed with the President Lu-Olo that the two countries should find new ways of strengthening defense ties.

“We appreciate the progress in the area of Defense that has already been made by Timor-Leste in 20 years, especially in democratization,” Mr Johnstone said.

First published in Tetum as: EUA-TL Diskute Meiu Fortifikasaun ba Kooperasaun Defeza

Journalist: Cipriano Colo

Editor: Xisto Freitas; Robert Baird

Translation: Nelia Borges

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