DILI, 06 july 2023 (TATOLI) – The Minister of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Japan, Takei Shunsuke, held a courtesy meeting with the President of the National Parliament, Fernanda Lay at the National Parliament, Dili, on thursday.
During the meeting, the Japanese Minister, Takei Shunsuke also delivered a congratulatory message from the President of the Lower House of the Japanese Parliament, Kazuo Ueda to Timor-Leste female elected House Speaker, Maria Fernanda Lay.
“I feel very honored to visit Timor-Leste’s second sovereign body. On behalf of the Speaker of the Lower House of the Parliament of Japan, I delivered congratulation to the Speaker of the National Parliament on her election. In the meeting we exchanged ideas on bilateral cooperation in the areas of defense and security”, said Takei Shunsuke, in statements to journalists, after the end of the meeting with Fernanda Lay, in the National Parliament.
The Japanese official also stressed that Japan and Timor-Leste are important partners and share universal values such as freedom, democracy, and human rights, among others.
Maria Fernanda Lay confirmed that the Timorese State and the Japanese Government have enjoyed fruitful bilateral cooperation in the areas of defense and security, economic development, and human resources in general and, specifically, in the supply of water and basic infrastructure in the country with ongoing projects.
Fernanda Lay also presented to the Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs some matters for which Japanese help would be useful, namely support for the restructuring of the tax reform in a way that would make it possible to attract foreign investors as well as the adaptation of taxation to the requirements demanded by the ASEAN accession process.
“As President of the National Parliament, I asked the Japanese State and China to continue to create peace and stability in the Pacific region, to create a favorable climate for the development of all countries in ASEAN”, Fernanda Lay concluded.
Journalist: Domingos Piedade
Editor: Izaura Lemos De Deus
Translation: José De Sa
