DILI, 30 september 2023 (TATOLI) – In her three-day visit to Timor-Leste, UK Minister of State for Indo-Pacific Anne-Marie Trevelyan has pledged to boost bilateral relations between the two countries, reiterating the UK’s commitment to support Timor-Leste on health and nutrition, gender equality, and Timor-Leste’s accession to ASEAN.
During her three-day visit, Trevelyan met with the President of the Republic, Jose Ramos Horta, Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, Foreign Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas, and other ministers to deepen the bilateral cooperation between the two countries through increased health engagement and joint development initiatives.
The Minister launched on Saturday (30/09) a UK-UNICEF Health Programme to help combat child malnutrition. The program will train community volunteers and establish support groups to encourage and advise parents on healthy feeding practices.
Minister Trevelyan also attended the Women in Leadership event co-organized by the Government of Timor-Leste and UN Women. This event is supported by a UK funding contribution to UN Women as part of a wider £3.2 million UK-ASEAN program announced earlier this year. The program will also promote women’s roles in peace and security initiatives throughout Southeast Asia.
Southeast Asia is a global center of economic growth and prosperity, and the UK’s engagement as an ASEAN dialogue partner supports the Prime Minister’s priority to grow the economy.
In addition to development cooperation, the UK is supporting Timor-Leste to maintain regional stability, with the Royal Navy vessel HMS Spey visiting Dili in August 2023.
Marie Trevelyan said: “As an ASEAN Dialogue Partner, the UK continues to work closely with partners across Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific to secure sustainable peace and prosperity in the region and address the challenges of the future. On my first visit to Timor-Leste, I look forward to discussing opportunities to enhance our bilateral relationship and collaboration on shared health and development priorities.”
“We remain steadfast in our support of Timor-Leste’s accession to ASEAN as a key partner on the global stage. The UK’s increased engagement with Timor-Leste demonstrates its long-term commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, in line with the Integrated Review Refresh published in March 2023.”
Trevelyan said that the UK will continue to welcome Timorese workers who come to work in the UK through the legal migration and visa regime: “We hope; we continue to allow them to do that. We look forward to seeing many of the years ahead being part of the UK economy as well as being able to support their family back home.”
The British Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Dominic Jermey, said: “The visit by UK Minister for Indo-Pacific Anne-Marie Trevelyan to Timor-Leste reaffirms the UK’s commitment to deepen our collaborations with Timor-Leste, a country that matters greatly to the UK.”
The visit will provide opportunities to discuss the strong links that already exist between the UK and Timor-Leste, particularly in health and nutrition, development priorities, and our support for Timor-Leste’s smooth accession into ASEAN.
“We look forward to seeing Timor-Leste develop as a stable and prosperous nation, and the UK-UNICEF health program is one example of our serious commitment to supporting the President’s priorities on health and nutrition,” Jermey said.
Prime Minister Gusmão expressed his deep appreciation for Trevelyan’s visit to Timor-Leste.
“During our meeting, Minister Trevelyan expressed the UK’s commitment to accepting more Timorese workers to work in the UK,” said Gusmão. “The UK is willing to continue supporting Timor-Leste’s national development. They also pledged to support capacity building and training to prepare our human resources for our accession to ASEAN.”
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Rafael Ximenes de A. Belo
