East Timor's Ramos-Horta to visit RP Aug 10 to 13

MANILA, Philippines - Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta will make a state visit to the Philippines from Aug. 10 to 13, Malacañang said Friday. A Palace statement said President Horta will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Zacarias Albino da Costa, and will seek to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries. Highlighting his visit will be the signing of three bilateral agreements, including: a Memorandum of Agreement of Marine and Fisheries Cooperation; a Memorandum of Agreement of Academic Cooperation; and a Memorandum of Understanding on the Training and Development of Timorese Diplomats at the Foreign Service Institute. Ramos-Horta visited the Philippine twice before, as foreign minister in 2002, and as Prime Minister in 2007. "This will be his first time to visit the Philippines as President of his country," the Palace statement said. Ramos-Horta was initially scheduled to visit the Philippines in April last year to take part in a lecture tour of Nobel Prize laureates titled "Bridges: Dialogues Toward a Culture of Peace." But the visit was cancelled due to an assassination attempt against him and Prime Minister Gusmao last February 11. The Philippines was among the first to express its support for Timor Leste when it gained full independence from Indonesia in May 2002. Ramos-Horta is the second elected President of Timor-Leste. The first was Kay Rala Xananan Gusmao, now the country's Prime Minister. The Philippines and Timor Leste are the only predominantly Catholic countries in Asia. - GMANews.TV