President Lee Jae-myung met with President José Ramos-Horta of Timor-Leste on November 6 to discuss expanding practical cooperation between the two countries in areas such as diplomacy, security, economy, climate change response, and development, labor, and education.
During the summit held at the Blue House, President Lee welcomed President Horta's visit, acknowledging his dedication to Timor-Leste's independence and democracy.
President Lee noted that both countries share the same time zone and are exemplary democracies, stating, "I would like to say that the time for democracy in Asia begins in Korea and Timor-Leste." He expressed hope for the continued development of the special friendship and cooperative relationship between the two nations.
President Horta expressed gratitude for Korea's support during Timor-Leste's independence and nation-building, mentioning former President Kim Dae-jung's assistance and the dispatch of the Green Tree Brigade, as well as development cooperation through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). He also praised the peaceful and orderly preservation of constitutional order through the 'Revolution of Light' by the Timorese people.
In the guestbook at the Blue House, President Horta wrote, "I am very pleased and honored to visit the Republic of Korea, a country of heroes and innovation, freedom, and democracy, once again."
The two leaders agreed to further expand cooperation in various fields, including diplomacy, security, economy, climate change response, and development cooperation. Under their leadership, the two countries signed three documents, including a memorandum of understanding on the establishment of a bilateral consultation body, the first regular consultative body between their foreign ministries, a technical agreement on security cooperation, and a memorandum of understanding for comprehensive cooperation in the field of intellectual property.
These agreements aim to enhance information sharing and cooperation between law enforcement agencies to combat transnational crime and improve the safety of citizens in both countries. They also plan to support trade and investment expansion based on the intellectual property cooperation framework and explore collaboration in energy and infrastructure.
The leaders also agreed to pursue agreements on visa exemptions for diplomats and official passport holders, a climate change cooperation agreement, and a memorandum of understanding on the implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. They aim to expand cooperation on climate change response, including international greenhouse gas reduction projects, while also strengthening the institutional foundation for development cooperation through the signing of a basic agreement on grant aid.
President Lee welcomed Timor-Leste's official accession to ASEAN last year and pledged cooperation to ensure its successful role as ASEAN chair in 2029. The two leaders also agreed to work closely together for the successful hosting of the Korea-ASEAN Special Summit scheduled for that year.
The two countries plan to strengthen labor cooperation through the employment permit system and support Timor-Leste's human resource development through Korean language education, scholarship and study abroad programs, and technical and vocational training.
President Lee also explained the government's efforts to resume dialogue between North and South Korea and promote peace on the Korean Peninsula. President Horta expressed active support for the South Korean government's efforts toward peaceful coexistence on the peninsula.
Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Kim Sung-wan stated, "This summit is significant as it reaffirms the long-standing friendship and trust based on shared values of democracy and peace, ahead of the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and lays a concrete foundation for expanding practical cooperation in various fields."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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