Timor-Leste's Ramos-Horta to arrive November 10 for state visit

Timor-Leste President José Ramos-Horta will arrive in the Philippines for a state visit on November 10-Friday to further strengthen bilateral relations between the two Southeast Asian countries, Malacañang said Sunday.

According to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), Ramos-Horta’s Philippine visit will touch on various areas of cooperation between the Philippines and Timor-Leste, including technical, political, educational, and economic partnerships.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. had previously reiterated the Philippines’ support for Timor-Leste’s full membership in the Association of  Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Timor-Leste has long sought ASEAN membership, but the bloc’s members, which decides by consensus, failed over the years to reach an agreement on whether or not it could accommodate the request.

In 2022, the ASEAN leaders agreed to allow Timor-Leste to join the 10-nation ASEAN regional bloc and granted the country an observer status. ASEAN also gave Timor-Leste the right to attend meetings and summit sessions.

Officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) would be present during Ramos-Horta’s visit. — DVM, GMA Integrated News