DILI, 07 February 2025 (TATOLI) – Seventeen officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (MoFAC) have completed a one-month basic Spanish language training course offered by the Cuban Embassy in Dili.
Cuban Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Grisel Innis, stated that the Spanish language training program is part of her government’s commitment to enhancing the language skills of the officials, as Spanish is crucial for diplomacy and widely spoken.
She said that the Spanish language training program is designed to equip the MoFAC’s officials with the skills they need for effective communication, especially when interacting with Spanish-speaking people.
The Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, João Freitas de Câmara, said that improving the language skills of MoFAC officials is important as they will be deployed to Timor-Leste’s embassies abroad.
He also said this is just the beginning, adding that MoFAC will collaborate with the Cuban Embassy to provide more Spanish language training for MoFAC’s senior officials.
Elda Ferreira, one of the trainees, said that the course had been running since November, once a week, and was taught by Cuban teachers at the National University of Timor Lorosa’e (UNTL).
“During the course, we learned the Spanish alphabet, numbers, and how to form sentences in Spanish. I’m someone who loves learning foreign languages, and I really enjoyed my first Spanish course,” she said.
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Filomeno Martins
