DILI, 27 April 2026 (TATOLI) – Timor-Leste’s Foreign Minister, Bendito dos Santos Freitas, held a bilateral meeting with Poland’s Deputy Foreign Minister on the sidelines of the 25th ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting in Bandar Seri Begawan.
During the meeting, Minister Bendito expressed Timor-Leste’s deep appreciation for Poland’s longstanding solidarity and support, particularly recalling the historic visit of Pope John Paul II to Timor-Leste on 12 October 1989.
Pope John Paul’s celebration of Holy Mass before thousands of Timorese was not only a profound religious moment, but also a powerful moral and political symbol during Timor-Leste’s struggle for independence. The visit strengthened international awareness and solidarity for the Timorese cause and remains a significant milestone in the nation’s path toward sovereignty.
Both Ministers exchanged views on strengthening and expanding bilateral cooperation in key strategic sectors, including agriculture, energy, waste management, digital transformation, cybersecurity, governance, public administration, and institutional strengthening.
Both Ministers highlighted that Timor-Leste and Poland share deeply similar historical experiences marked by foreign occupation, sacrifice, resilience, and the long struggle for independence.
Both nations defended their identity and sovereignty with courage and emerged from difficult periods with a strong commitment to peace, democracy, and state-building. In this context, both Ministers noted that Poland’s remarkable transformation—from occupation and communist rule to becoming one of Europe’s most dynamic economies through painful reforms, institutional strengthening, education, and strategic integration into regional and global systems—offers valuable lessons for Timor-Leste as it advances its own national development agenda and regional integration through ASEAN.
Both sides also discussed the establishment of a Bilateral Consultation Mechanism to facilitate regular dialogue, strengthen technical follow-up discussions, and advance the implementation of identified priority areas of cooperation.
The two sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to further deepening bilateral relations through high-level exchanges, practical cooperation, and stronger institutional partnerships between Timor-Leste and Poland.
TATOLI
