Timor-Leste's Ramos-Horta in Philippines on official visit

Timor-Leste President José Ramos-Horta on Wednesday arrived in Manila for an official visit meant to boost the bilateral relations between the two nations.

Ramos-Horta was welcomed at the NAIA by Ambassador to Timor-Leste Belinda Ante and Manila International Airport Authority general manager Manuel Gonzales.

He is scheduled to have a bilateral meeting with President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Friday.

Marcos is set to discuss with Ramos-Horta various areas of cooperation between the two nations such as technical, political, educational, and economic partnerships.

Marcos on the sidelines of the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Indonesia in May expressed the Philippines’ continued support for Timor-Leste

“In the Philippines, you have a partner. We have always been supportive,” President Marcos told Timor-Leste Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak.

Several Philippine government agencies will be actively engaged during the visit, including 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).

Timor-Leste, operating as an observer, participated in the 42nd ASEAN Summit, where Marcos expressed his enthusiasm for the country's democratic journey and its eventual accession as an ASEAN member state.

The ASEAN summit in May approved a roadmap for Timor-Leste's full membership, subject to specific conditions.

Ramos-Horta has expressed the aspiration for Timor-Leste to achieve full-fledged ASEAN membership in 2025, though the country remains open to alternative timelines as suggested by other Southeast Asian leaders. —NB, GMA Integrated News