05 August 2015 – Honorable Albert F. del Rosario, Secretary of Foreign Affairs met with his counterpart, His Excellency Hernani Coelho Da Silva, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, on the sidelines of the 48th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on August 04.
During the meeting, Secretary Del Rosario and Minister Coelho discussed matters of mutual concern such as cooperation in defense, education, health, and technical cooperation, among others. Both Ministers expressed their desire for continued engagement and collaboration for the benefit of the Filipino and Timorese people.
Secretary Del Rosario also expressed the hope that Timor-Leste diplomats could continue participating in courses offered by the Foreign Service Institute of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA-FSI). Such courses are aimed at the professional development of Timor-Leste diplomats. This is a concrete manifestation of the warm and mutually-beneficial relations between the peoples of both countries.
Secretary Del Rosario also reiterated the Philippines’ support for Timor-Leste’s application to be the 11th member of ASEAN, stating that “Timor-Leste belongs to Southeast Asia” and “should be granted its rightful place in the ASEAN community”. The Secretary encouraged his counterpart by saying that the Philippines looks forward to Timor-Leste meeting the criteria for admission of new ASEAN members as prescribed in the ASEAN Charter.
“We reiterate our support for Timor-Leste’s membership in ASEAN, whose integration in ASEAN should be viewed from an overall strategic standpoint,” Secretary Del Rosario added.
The two Ministers reaffirmed the strong friendship between the peoples of the Philippines and Timor-Leste. The Philippines and Timor-Leste have maintained a strong partnership since the establishment of bilateral relations in May 2002.
The meeting was the first meeting between the Foreign Affairs officials since Minister Coelho assumed the Post of Foreign Minister on February 16. END