DILI, 15 august 2023 (TATOLI)—The Brazilian Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Maurício Medeiros Assis, conduct the meeting with the Prime Minister (PM), Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão and discussed his commitment to support Timor-Leste in the education sector.
“With the Prime, we discussed the possibility of Timor-Leste and Brazil working together in the education sector, Because previously Brazil has provided support of training to teachers, therefore Prime Minister Gusmao asked to continue the support,” explained Maurício Medeiros Assis at the Government Palace, Dili.
Through the existing cooperation, Ambassador said, during this time, there have been 300 Timorese youths who have studied in Brazil.
At the same time, He also believes that his party is ready to support Timor-Leste to be able to produce its medicines.
While other sectors also became priorities topic during the discussion such as agriculture, saying this is also a very important support program because the two countries have similarities in developing agriculture and increasing animal husbandry.
“This is a very positive discussion, the people of Brazil and Timor-Leste have a very good relationship. Therefore, Brazil will increase cooperation with Timor-Leste. Here I also provide documents about services that Brazil has provided while in Timor-Leste through bilateral cooperation with PM,” he concluded.
So far, The Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC) carried out its first mission to Timor-Leste in 2000, intending to identify areas where the Brazilian Government can cooperate including the sector of education and the other related sector in Timor – Leste. On that occasion, the fields of education, agriculture, and vocational training were set as Brazil’s technical cooperation priorities.
On 20 July of the same year, two years before the constitution of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, the Government of Brazil signed the Protocol to Technical Cooperation between the Government of Brazil and the United Nations Transitional Administration which made it possible to implement technical cooperation projects in Timor-Leste.
The first project initiated in Timor-Leste was the implementation of the Center for Social Promotion, Vocational Training and Business Development in Becora, in partnership with the National Service for Industrial Learning (SENAI), currently called the Brasil-East Timor Vocational Training Center.
Brazil’s cooperation with Timor – Leste is now ten years old. Among the most important projects is the Vocational Training Center mentioned above, the Timor Leste Justice Sector Support Project.
Where Brazilian professionals have trained East Timorese lawyers, prosecutors, and judges since 2005, and projects in the field of education, which have trained elementary school teachers and assisted in developing the curriculum at the Timor Leste Agricultural Engineering School.
Currently, the Brazil – Timor-Leste Technical Cooperation Program comprises a total investment of $8 million, of which $6 million comes from the budget of the Brazilian Cooperation Agency in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This technical cooperation portfolio consists of 32 projects, of which 12 projects are in the implementation stage, 17 projects are in the exploratory and negotiation stages, and 4 projects have been completed in 2011.
The projects are divided into 10 thematic areas: vocational training and labor market, justice, national security, culture and national heritage, agriculture, education, governance and institutional support, sport, environment, and health.
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Nelia B.
