DILI, 29 April 2026 (TATOLI) — Timor-Leste’s Foreign Minister, Bendito dos Santos Freitas, held talks with Austria’s State Secretary for European and International Affairs, Sepp Schellhorn, as both sides moved to strengthen bilateral cooperation and advance a broader strategic partnership.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 25th ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting in Bandar Seri Begawan.
During the meeting, Minister Bendito expressed Timor-Leste’s deep appreciation for Austria’s longstanding support during the country’s struggle for independence, particularly for hosting the All-Inclusive Intra-East Timorese Dialogue (AIETD), which played an important role in fostering national reconciliation, peacebuilding and the path toward independence.
The bilateral discussion provided an important opportunity for both sides to exchange views on strengthening and expanding cooperation across several strategic sectors, including education and human capital development, capacity-building initiatives such as diplomatic training, the blue economy, infrastructure development, private sector investment, and tourism.
“Given Austria’s strong global reputation and extensive experience in tourism development, both sides recognized this sector as a valuable area for future cooperation, knowledge exchange, and investment promotion,” said in a statement.
Both sides also underscored the importance of enhancing collaboration within the multilateral system and advancing shared interests through stronger international partnerships and coordinated diplomatic engagement. In this context, Minister Bendito highlighted Timor-Leste’s role as Chair of the Least Developed Countries (LDC) Group on Climate Change for 2026–2027 and informed the Austrian side that, in collaboration with the Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Climate and Environmental Protection, Regions and Water Management, Timor-Leste will convene a Donor Dialogue in Vienna on 7 May 2026. The initiative aims to mobilize resources and strengthen international support for the implementation of climate adaptation priorities across LDCs, reaffirming Timor-Leste’s commitment to climate diplomacy and global climate justice.
As Austria prepares to launch the ASEAN-Austria Centre in 2027, both sides also discussed opportunities for cooperation within the ASEAN framework, particularly as Timor-Leste advances its ASEAN integration and prepares for its ASEAN Chairship in 2029. The discussion emphasized the importance of leveraging ASEAN as a platform for deeper regional and international engagement.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to pursue follow-up technical discussions on the identified priority areas of cooperation and to further strengthen diplomatic communication, mutual understanding, and the longstanding bilateral relations between Timor-Leste and Austria.
TATOLI
