DILI, 14 May 2026 (TAOLI) – Nino Pereira, Minister of Commerce and Industry of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, delivered a Special Statement during the Opening Plenary Session of the ADB–World Bank Trade Forum 2026 held at the Kempinski Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand.
The Forum, organized by the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank in collaboration with IMD Business School and the Paris School of Economics, was held under the theme: “Trade Policy in a Fragmented World: Accessions, Industrial Policy, and the New Multilateralism.”
In his remarks, the Minister emphasized that the current global trading environment continues to face significant challenges due to policy uncertainty, industrial policy measures, and geopolitical tensions. He underlined the importance of cooperation, predictability, and a rules-based multilateral trading system.
The Minister also highlighted Timor-Leste’s historic accession to the World Trade Organization in 2024 and its admission as a full member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2025 as major milestones toward deeper regional and global economic integration.
Furthermore, Pereira reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to aligning national policies and legal frameworks with regional commitments, while promoting economic diversification, trade facilitation, regulatory coherence, institutional capacity building, and inclusive economic growth.
In closing, he reaffirmed Timor-Leste’s readiness to strengthen cooperation with international partners, including the ADB and the World Bank, to support a more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable regional and global trading system.
TATOLI
