DILI, 08 May 2025 (TATOLI) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, in collaboration with the ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), organized a 3-day sector-specific training on the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) Rules of Origin, Customs Valuation, and Land and Air Transport Agreements as part of a series of capacity-strengthening and knowledge-sharing activities.
The training, held on 6–8 May 2025 at Hotel Timor in Dili, is part of the Second Capacity Building Program (CBP 2.0) under the ongoing technical assistance project of ADB to support Timor-Leste’s accession to ASEAN.
120 Timorese government officials from the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Forestry, Ministry of Transport and Communication, Customs Authority – Ministry of Finance, TradeInvest Timor-Leste, I.P, AIFAESA, I.P., AACTL, I.P. and AANTL, I.P. actively engaged in practical and interactive sessions, which brought sector experts from relevant divisions in ASEC, World Customs Organization (WCO), and the Ministry of Trade and the Ministry of Finance of Indonesia. Launched in 2023, the CBP aims to increase the readiness of Timor-Leste’s government and technical officials to meet the obligations of core ASEAN economic agreements and build foundational knowledge of the ASEAN Economic Community as part of a broader strategy for Timor-Leste’s governance process to align with ASEAN Member States.
The sectoral training will be continued with the third session under CBP 2.0, covering topics such as Minerals Cooperation, Energy Cooperation, and Dispute Settlement.
The CBP is part of Timor-Leste’s broader strategy towards regional economic integration and to strengthen institutional readiness for ASEAN membership. It is implemented under ADB’s Technical Assistance Project: Capacity for Multilateral and Regional Economic Integration.
Timor-Leste remains committed to the ASEAN accession process and will continue to cooperate with ASEC, ASEAN Member States, ADB, and other development partners in its journey towards full membership.
TATOLI
