DILI, 08 May 2026 (TATOLI) — Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng invited his Timorese counterpart Xanana Gusmão to pay an official visit to Vietnam in the near future.
The invitation was extended during talks between the two leaders held at the Bougainvillea, Shangri-La Mactan, Cebu, on Thursday on the sidelines of the 48th ASEAN Summit.
Prime Minister Gusmão welcomed the invitation during the meeting. “I would like to extend my deep appreciation for inviting me to visit Vietnam,” he said during talks with Lê Minh Hưng.
On behalf of the Timorese people, Gusmão also congratulated the Vietnamese leader on his election as head of government.
The Prime Minister reaffirmed Timor-Leste’s strong commitment to ASEAN as a platform for peace, stability, economic transformation, and regional cooperation.
The Prime Minister also expressed appreciation for Viet Nam’s longstanding friendship and continued support for Timor-Leste’s ASEAN accession and national development efforts.
The discussions highlighted the growing bilateral relationship between Timor-Leste and Viet Nam, particularly in areas such as education and training, trade and investment, fisheries, aquaculture, maritime cooperation, and the blue economy.
Both sides also underscored the importance of strengthening people-to-people connectivity and institutional cooperation as Timor-Leste prepares for deeper engagement within ASEAN.
Prime Minister Xanana further welcomed ongoing efforts toward the establishment of the Vietnamese Embassy in Dili, describing it as another important milestone in the strengthening of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The meeting reaffirmed the shared commitment of Timor-Leste and Viet Nam to promoting peace, resilience, sustainable development, and regional solidarity within ASEAN and beyond.
Government officials attending the meeting included Vice Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs and Minister of Tourism and Environment Francisco Kalbuadi Lay; Vice Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Rural Development and Community Housing Mariano Assanami Sabino; Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Bendito dos Santos Freitas; Minister of Health Élia A.A. dos Reis Amaral; and Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Francisco da Costa Monteiro.
TATOLI
