DILI, 20 june 2024 (TATOLI) – The Ambassadors of the United States of America (USA), South Korea, and Japan for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have reaffirmed their support for Timor-Leste’s accession to the organization.
The statement was made by South Korea’s Ambassador to ASEAN, Lee Jang-Keun, accompanied by his Japanese counterpart, Kiya Masahiko, and his US counterpart, Yohannes Abraham, as well as Japan’s Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Tetsuya Kimura, after the end of a meeting with the Prime Minister, Xanana Gusmão, at the Government Palace in Dili.
Lee Jang-Keun said it was an honor to meet with the Head of Government to strengthen the friendly relations between the two countries and, above all, to reiterate South Korea’s support for Timor-Leste’s accession to ASEAN.
These ambassadors also met with the President of the Republic, José Ramos Horta, to discuss East Timor’s accession to the bloc.
The ambassadors expressed gratitude for the productive dialogue with President Ramos-Horta.
Ambassador Abraham said: “We are all very much committed to ASEAN and its centrality. Our visit included a series of meetings, including this meeting with the President, to discuss how we can support Timor-Leste’s journey to full ASEAN membership.”
The ambassadors highlighted their countries’ commitment to Timor-Leste’s accession to ASEAN and the exploration of new cooperation opportunities: “We are focusing on infrastructure development, education and human capacity building, and economic development while the accession process itself is going,” said Ambassador Abraham.
President Ramos-Horta appreciated the ambassadors’ support and the important discussions. Timor-Leste remains dedicated to its path towards ASEAN membership, and with the support of its friends and partners, the country is confident in achieving its goals.
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Filomeno Martins
