DILI, 02 october 2023 (TATOLI) – The Government of India, through the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, during his visit to Timor-Leste, asked the government to open the Indian embassy in Dili, the capital of Timor-Leste.
“India wants to open its embassy in Dili. Therefore, on behalf of India, I have asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation to give us a piece of land in the coastal area to set up our embassy,” Minister Singh told reporters, in Dili, on monday.
He said that the establishment of the Indian embassy in Dili would certainly strengthen the ties between the two countries.
So, the Indian government will have premises for its embassy in Dili, which will facilitate the work of Indian diplomats in the country.
Timor-Leste’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Bendito dos Santos Freitas, appreciated India’s initiative to establish its embassy in Timor-Leste, pledging to cede the land for the Indian government to set up its embassy in the near future.
Freitas said that the establishment of the Indian embassy in Dili would further strengthen the ties of friendship and cooperation between both nations.
“India remains one of the most important countries for Timor-Leste and we need to boost our ties with India to ensure a better future for our nation and the Timorese people,” Freitas said.
Minister Freitas said that Timor-Leste will also open its embassy in Delhi, in order to build a path of mutual benefit and progress for both countries.
India was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with Timor-Leste, starting in january 2003.
Currently, the Indian ambassador in Jakarta also carries out his permanent non-resident mission in Timor-Leste.
According to data from the Indian Embassy, between 2021 and 2022, the value of trade between India and Timor-Leste was US$26 million, covering the export and import of agricultural products, pharmaceuticals, rubber, and salt.
Journalist: Camilo de Sousa
Editor: Filomeno Martins
