DILI, 25 June 2026 (TATOLI) – Minister of Education Dulce de Jesus Soares reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with Portugal in education, focusing on teacher training and the promotion of the Portuguese language, during a courtesy visit to the Camões – Institute for Cooperation and Language, in Lisbon on June 24.
During the meeting, Soares thanked Camões President Florbela Paraíba for the institution’s longstanding support for the development of Timor-Leste’s education system and highlighted its contribution to improving teaching capacity in the country.
The minister said the partnership between Timor-Leste and Portugal is rooted in a shared history and strengthened by common cultural and linguistic ties.
She underscored the strategic importance of Portuguese as one of Timor-Leste’s official languages and its role in public administration, legislation, education, and academic and scientific research.
Soares also praised the Camões Institute’s contribution to the professional development of Timorese teachers, particularly through the PRO-Português project, describing its achievements as worthy of recognition and appreciation.
She noted, however, that significant challenges remain, particularly in strengthening the Portuguese-language proficiency of newly recruited teachers entering the education system each year.
The minister said a recent technical mission to Lisbon by the National Institute for Teacher Training and Education Professionals (INFORDEPE) and the Ministry of Education had helped revive institutional dialogue with the Camões Institute and launched discussions on a new phase of bilateral cooperation.
She reaffirmed the government’s commitment to working closely with the Portuguese institution to design a new cooperation programme tailored to the current needs of Timor-Leste’s education sector.
The Ministry of Education expects technical work on the programme’s design and formalisation to be carried out throughout 2026, with implementation scheduled to begin in 2027.
Concluding her remarks, Soares reiterated the Timor-Leste government’s appreciation for the Camões Institute’s continued support and expressed its readiness to further strengthen the longstanding partnership in support of education, teacher training and the promotion of the Portuguese language in Timor-Leste.
TATOLI
