DILI, 28 October 2025 (TATOLI) – The Government of Timor-Leste and the European Union have discussed potential cooperation on the creation of the “Digital Journal of the Republic Portal,” a project designed to enhance transparency, legal certainty, and administrative modernization.
The Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Agio Pereira, met on October 28, 2025, at the Government Palace with the European Union Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Thorsten Bargfrede, to review ongoing bilateral cooperation and explore European support for the initiative.
The meeting was also attended by Jaime Correia and Pedro Sarmento, the President and Vice-President of the National Press of Timor-Leste (INTL, I.P.), which is leading the development of the portal. It marked the first official engagement between the government and Ambassador Bargfrede since he presented his credentials to President José Ramos-Horta in September.
Discussions covered a wide range of cooperation areas between Timor-Leste and the European Union, including nutrition, health, education, infrastructure, economy, security, digitalization, climate change, human rights, and the electoral process. The two sides also reviewed the implementation of the Samoa Agreement, signed in November 2023, which defines the legal and strategic framework for EU relations with African, Caribbean, and Pacific States over the next two decades.
The Digital Journal of the Republic Portal project aims to create an online platform that provides free, universal, and permanent access to all legislation published since 2002. The initiative seeks to strengthen transparency and reinforce the democratic rule of law in Timor-Leste.
According to the proposal presented to the European Union, the project aligns with the administrative modernization and good governance priorities of the 9th Constitutional Government. It includes the digitization of the legislative archive, creation of an advanced search engine, secure cloud-based hosting, and technical training for national staff.
The project is being developed by the National Press of Timor-Leste and is expected to be formalized through a partnership with Portugal’s National Press – Mint and Security Printing Institute (INCM).
The government considers the digitalization of the Journal of the Republic a crucial step toward improving public access to information, enhancing efficiency in public administration, and promoting greater trust in state institutions.
TATOLI
