DILI, 14 February 2025 (TATOLI) – The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Bendito dos Santos Freitas, held a courtesy meeting this Friday with the New Zealand Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Helen Tunnah, to discuss the scholarship program for Timorese students.
At the aforementioned meeting held at MoFAC, Ambassador Tunnah said that the Government of New Zealand, with great pride, had announced a significant increase in the number of Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships for Timor-Leste at the tertiary level.
Thus, in its third edition, the New Zealand Government will increase the number of scholarships from 12 to 32 per year, starting from the next academic year.
Tunnah recalled that after the visit of the New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs to Timor-Leste in June 2023, he decided to further strengthen the friendship between the two countries.
The Government of New Zealand is also committed to supporting the development of the economy and human capital, which reflects New Zealand’s support for Timor-Leste within the scope of its membership in ASEAN.
Therefore, through this Scholarship program, it will further strengthen prosperity, security and sustainable growth because the New Zealand Government agrees to promote connection between people.
Meanwhile, the New Zealand Government awarded the first scholarship to Timor-Leste in 1990. And now it has a total of 500 former students as beneficiaries of this program.
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Filomeno Martins
