December 13, 2024
DHAKA – Timor-Leste President José Ramos-Horta will arrive in Bangladesh on Saturday for the first-ever state visit, marking a “historic milestone” in the bilateral relations between the two nations.”
He will be accompanied by an 18-member delegation, including the minister of foreign affairs, the president’s chief adviser, and other senior officials.
“We are optimistic that this visit will be a successful and fruitful one,” Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin told reporters at a briefing at the foreign ministry today.
During this visit, José Ramos-Horta will participate in the Victory Day celebrations on December 16.
Bangladesh officially recognised Timor-Leste on June 7, 2002, after it gained independence and established diplomatic relations.
Following Timor-Leste’s independence, Bangladesh’s peacekeeping forces played a key role in restoring peace and stability in the war-torn country, and Timor-Leste continues to express gratitude towards Bangladesh for this contribution.
Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus will officially welcome Timor-Leste president at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport with full state honours.
On Sunday, President Ramos-Horta will hold a private meeting with Chief Adviser Prof Yunus and then the two sides will hold a delegation-level meeting.
He will also attend a state banquet hosted in his honour. On Monday, he will meet the president of Bangladesh at Bangabhaban, visit the National Martyrs’ Memorial in Savar to pay respects to the martyrs of the Bangladesh Liberation War and attend the 54th Victory Day celebrations.
On Tuesday, he will deliver a public lecture at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) on “The Challenges of Peace in the Contemporary World”.
That afternoon, he will address students and youth in Bangladesh, sharing his experiences of Timor-Leste’s struggle for independence, his leadership, the role of the people, and the aspirations of the Timorese people post-independence.
The countries are expected to sign two agreements — mutual visa exemption agreement for holders of official and diplomatic passports and a Memorandum of Understanding establishing a bilateral consultation mechanism.
During the bilateral meetings, discussions will also cover agreements and MoUs in areas such as trade and investment, air services, cultural exchanges, education, professional and diplomatic training, disaster management, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and poverty alleviation.
Potential cooperation will be explored in areas like food security, health and nutrition, agriculture, contract farming, animal husbandry, deep-sea fishing, information technology, tourism, the welfare of Bangladeshi expatriates in Timor-Leste, and issues related to permanent residency cards.
Furthermore, student and teacher exchanges, joint research projects, and cooperation in higher education through joint Master’s and Doctoral programs will also be discussed.
The visit will also focus on global and regional cooperation, including in the field of climate change.
It is expected that Timor-Leste will become a full member of ASEAN in 2025-26.
This will provide an opportunity for Bangladesh’s inclusion as a “Sectoral Dialogue Partner” and for Timor-Leste to express strong support for Bangladesh’s role in ASEAN, particularly in advocating for the repatriation of the Rohingya refugees, said the foreign secretary.