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President of Timor-Leste Thanks PM Hun Sen for Support in Joining ASEAN

PHNOM PENH: The President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, José Manuel Ramos-Horta, arrived in Cambodia accompanied by a high-level delegation for an official four-day state visit on Wednesday morning, 19 October. During the President’s visit, he is expected to meet with the King of Cambodia, the President of the Senate, the President of the National Assembly and Prime Minister Hun Sen.

EAC News Reporter, Anthony Ellis, moderated a press conference with President José Manuel Ramos-Horta and his accompanying delegation at the Sofitel Hotel on Wednesday afternoon. During his opening remarks, the President of Timor-Leste shared several words of praise for Cambodia’s development.

“We hear all the time about Singapore [as an] economic miracle, about Dubai, or about China, but, I think Cambodia is equally impressive, the way it changed from such a difficult past, without really [having any] resources,” said President Ramos-Horta.

He further extended tribute to Cambodia’s leadership, particularly to Prime Minister Hun Sen, who he said is the architect behind the country’s great transformation.

“Prime Minister Hun Sen has been a great friend of Timor-Leste, we have met many times in the past, not only me, but many other Timorese leaders who have been through Cambodia… He has great feelings about Timor-Leste because of Cambodia’s history, because of his personal history, because of his experience in pulling a country out of extreme poverty and past tragedy to what it is today, so someone like him has feelings of solidarity and fraternity towards others in difficult situations.”

President Ramos-Horta also specifically thanked Prime Minister Hun Sen for supporting Timor-Leste’s aspiration to join ASEAN. He spoke about the 10 years of hard work and progress the country has made to become eligible to join the association, particularly in the three pillars of culture, economy and peace and security.

Answering a question from EAC News on why joining ASEAN is so important for his country, President Ramos-Horta stated that being part of a regional organization facilitates many things, and joining ASEAN would open up many opportunities for Timor-Leste.

“ASEAN is a very influential important trade bloc, economic bloc, community bloc,” he said. “Membership in ASEAN can mean more investors from the ASEAN region and beyond coming to Timor-Leste. We’ll be part of a market of almost 700 million people with almost four trillion-dollar joint GDP. It will facilitate Timorese going to study, work across South East Asia. It will give more visibility to Timor Leste’s own voice in the sense, speaking together with ASEAN countries on issues like climate change, on debt relief, or other economic financial challenges in the world…”

He, however, also added that he believes joining the association would provide mutually beneficial results for both the island nation and ASEAN.

“We can help ASEAN reach out to other blocs where we are already entrenched, like the Community of Portuguese Language Countries… We can help ASEAN countries lobby and reach out to the LDCs, least developed countries, which form a formidable bloc in the UN system. So, we will bring something to ASEAN, [it will] not only be benefiting us… we can benefit ASEAN as a group.”

The President of Timor-Leste will meet with the King of Cambodia, the President of the Senate, the President of the National Assembly and Prime Minister Hun Sen during his visit. President Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Hun Sen will also preside over the signing of two important bilateral documents: The Aviation Services Agreement and the Memorandum of Understanding on Rice Trade Between the Royal Government of Cambodia and the Government of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste.



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