Prime Ministers of PNG and Vanuatu to attend Timor-Leste’s 51st anniversary of independence proclamation
DÍLI, 03 July 2026 (TATOLI) — The prime ministers of Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea have confirmed they will attend Timor-Leste’s 51st independence anniversary celebrations on November 28, President José Ramos-Horta said on Monday, describing their participation as a milestone in the country’s expanding ties with the Pacific region.
Speaking to reporters after returning to Dili from a state visit to Vanuatu and a private trip to Melbourne, Australia, Ramos-Horta said Vanuatu Prime Minister Jotham Napat and Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape had accepted invitations to attend the national commemoration.
“The Prime Minister of Vanuatu and the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea have confirmed they will come to Timor-Leste. This will be the first time Timor-Leste receives two prime ministers simultaneously,” Ramos-Horta said upon his arrival at the President Nicolau Lobato International Airport.
“I have just returned from two trips, one of them to Vanuatu. It was my first state visit to Vanuatu since Timor-Leste became independent,” he said.
Ramos-Horta highlighted Vanuatu’s historic role in supporting Timor-Leste’s struggle for independence, saying it was the only Pacific nation to consistently provide strong political backing during the years of resistance.
He said discussions with Vanuatu’s leadership also focused on economic governance, with the Pacific nation expressing interest in learning from Timor-Leste’s management of its Petroleum Fund and sovereign wealth fund.
“They want to study the management of Timor-Leste’s Petroleum Fund and sovereign wealth fund. I told them they can send a delegation to Timor-Leste, or the Central Bank of Timor-Leste can send a delegation to Vanuatu to exchange experiences,” Ramos-Horta said.
The president added that Vanuatu had also offered to share its expertise in organising state ceremonies and official protocol, reflecting the increasingly close cooperation between the two countries.
Ramos-Horta also announced that Papua New Guinea plans to open an embassy in Dili during Prime Minister Marape’s visit in November.
“Papua New Guinea will open its embassy in Timor-Leste when its prime minister visits in November. At that time, the ambassador designated to Timor-Leste will also be introduced,” he said.
On bilateral cooperation in health, Ramos-Horta praised a Timorese ophthalmologist serving in Papua New Guinea through the Maluk Timor organisation and a team of Australian doctors.
“The eye specialist from Timor-Leste is highly respected and appreciated by the people of Papua New Guinea because of the quality of the services provided,” he said.
Following his state visit to Vanuatu, Ramos-Horta travelled to Melbourne on a private visit to meet members of the Timorese community living in Australia.
TATOLI
