Ramos-Horta Inaugurate Timor-Leste’s Embassy in Angola To Strengthening Diplomatic Ties

LUANDA, www.news-viptv.com – In a landmark moment for bilateral relations, Timor-Leste President J. Ramos-Horta inaugurated Timor-Leste’s new embassy in Angola. Speaking at the ceremony, President Ramos-Horta expressed gratitude for Angola’s swift provision of space for the embassy, marking a significant step in strengthening diplomatic ties between the two nations.

“The President emphasized the historical importance of this development, noting that Angola is the first Portuguese-speaking African country to establish an embassy in Dili. He highlighted Angola’s growing presence in Asia, with existing diplomatic missions in Singapore and Jakarta, and stressed the mutual benefits this new embassy would bring to both countries, as well as to the CPLP,” wrote a press release from the presidential office, Tuesday (9 July 2024).

Ramos-Horta outlined plans for rapid staffing of the embassy beyond the ambassador, emphasizing the need for a team to implement and execute recently signed memoranda and agreements. He expressed confidence that the embassy would be highly active in fostering cooperation between Timor-Leste and Angola.

In response, Angola’s Foreign Minister confirmed that his country has already secured facilities in Dili, with Angola’s ambassador having visited the Timorese capital. The minister echoed the sentiment of friendship and solidarity between the two nations, quoting former Angolan President Agostinho Neto: “What counts for us is not geography, but ideology.”

Proposes Police Training Cooperation with Angola

Looking to strengthen bilateral cooperation, on his visited to the Angola National Police Academy, Ramos-Horta proposed sending Angolan police instructors to Dili for training programs. He argued this approach would benefit more Timorese officers than sending small groups to Angola, and expressed his intention to discuss this partnership proposal with Timor-Leste’s Minister of Interior.

Ramos-Horta also shared Timor-Leste’s ongoing state-building efforts, particularly in developing Timor-Leste’s police force. He explained that Timor-Leste retained 60% of the previous police personnel and has benefited from international partnerships in police and military training, notably with Australia and Portugal.

The Head of State expressed admiration for Angola’s progress, describing it as one of the world’s most promising countries. He even suggested Angola could be a strong candidate for a permanent seat on a potentially reformed UN Security Council.

The event highlighted significant steps in strengthening diplomatic and economic ties between the two Portuguese-speaking nations. President Lourenço emphasized the importance of reciprocity in international relations, announcing his intention to visit Timor-Leste in the near future. He also revealed that Angola had recently opened an embassy in Dili, correcting a previous gap in diplomatic representation among CPLP (Comunidade dos Paises de Lingua Portuguesa) members.

On joint the press conference, both leaders discussed the signing of several cooperation agreements and the activation of the Bilateral Joint Commission, which Lourenço described as “an important tool for making things happen from now on.” The Angolan President stressed that the potential for cooperation between the two countries is limitless, emphasizing the need to identify and exploit these opportunities.

President Ramos-Horta announced the possibility of Timor-Leste becoming the 11th member of ASEAN in 2025. He stressed the potential for increased economic cooperation between Timor-Leste and Angola, particularly given Timor-Leste’s close access to ASEAN’s 700 million consumers with a combined GDP of $4 billion.

The Head of State Ramos-Horta proposed that Timor-Leste could serve as a distribution hub for products from Portuguese-speaking African countries (PALOP) and the CPLP in the Southeast Asian region. He called for more practical cooperation between CPLP nations, urging a shift from annual “romantic declarations” to concrete economic results.