DILI, 31 may 2022 (TATOLI) – The Australia Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Bill Costello, and the President of the Republic, José Ramos Horta held an official meeting to discuss multiple aspects of Timor-Leste-Australia relations and cooperation.
During the meeting, Ambassador Costello updated the new structure of the Australian Government with Anthony Albanese as the new Prime Minister.
“My purpose of meeting President Horta today is to update him on a number of areas of cooperation between Australia and Timor-Leste and specifically to let him know about progress with the formation of a new government in Australia. We had an election a week ago and the new Prime Minister was appointed, the new Foreign Minister was appointed and just today other new ministers are being appointed,” Costello told reporters after meeting President Horta, at the Presidential Palace, on tuesday.
Costello also shared with President Horta about a number of activities of Australian current interest, including telecommunications, which the Government of Timor-Leste and the Alcatel Submarine Network (ASN) have signed the agreement for Timor-Leste’s South Submarine Cable project implementation, at the Palace of the Government, in Dili, on tuesday (31/05).
On the occasion, President Horta and Ambassador Costello Ministers also talked about the negotiation that was happening on the Greater Sunrise special regime which was a follow-up to the agreement on the Maritime Boundary Treaty between Timor-Leste and Australia in 2018.
President Horta and Ambassador Costello discussed continuing cooperation on matters of mutual interests: “There is a mutual commitment between both countries to do more together. For instance, today we talked about having cooperation between Australian and Timorese broadcasters.”
During the talks, both sides also focused on the programs of sending more Timorese people to work in Australia.
“The new government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, has made an important commitment in the area of labor mobility to provide more opportunities for workers from the Pacific Region and Timor-Leste to work in Australia for the longer term. And also, the possibility of future visas for permanent migration to Australia.”
In addition, at the meeting, Ambassador Costello also confirmed the possibility of President Horta visiting Australia in the future.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges
