Strengthening Delhi-Dili relations: Timor Leste announces intention to open embassy in India

India has warmly welcomed the intention of Timor-Leste to open its embassy in New Delhi, Ministry of External Affairs, Secretary (East), Jaideep Mazumdar said on Friday.

In September 2023, India had announced the opening of its mission in Timor Leste and the embassy will be set up there soon.

“We have announced the opening of our mission in Timor Leste. Prime Minister announced this in September last year and we are well on the way to setting up our embassy and we will be setting it up very soon. Timor Leste has also, in the meantime announced its intention to open an embassy in New Delhi which we have welcomed warmly,” Mazumdar said.

Secretary Jaideep Mazumdar was addressing a special press briefing on President Droupadi Murmu’s visit to Fiji, Timor Leste and New Zealand on August 5.

The President will travel to Timor Leste at the invitation of the president of Timor Leste, Jose Ramos-Horta, following which the president will hold engagements on August 10.

Marking the first head of state-level visit from India to Timor Leste, President Murmu will also hold a meeting with Timor Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao.

“There will be also a community reception with Indians in Timor-Leste and friends of India,” the MEA Secretary said during the briefing.

“We have several areas of bilateral cooperation that we would like to follow up with the government of Timor Leste in various areas such as IT, digitalization, healthcare, agriculture and capacity building,” he added.

Timor Leste and India has shared many years of warm and cordial relationship therefore the visit is a very timely one and one of great significance for the ties between the two countries, he said

Before leaving for Timor Leste, President Murmu will be in New Zealand from August 7 to 9 at the invitation of Cindy Kiro, Governor General of New Zealand.

The governor general will be hosting a banquet in honour of President Murmu, the MEA Secretary stated.

“New Zealand recognizes India as a key partner in defence and security and in terms of overall bilateral trade, investment, people-to-people contact, etcetera. Therefore, this visit will itself be highly significant,” he said.

Moreover, education plays a big part in India-Zealand bilateral relations.

Mazumdar added that India is the second-largest country in New Zealand in terms of its student population.

“About 8000 Indian students study there. And the President will therefore be addressing an international education conference in Wellington where India is the guest of honour,” Mazumbdar highlighted.

“This underscores the significance of the educational relationship where New Zealand is looking to work with India and collaborate with India’s education system and its educational institutions apart from the students that we send there,” the MEA official said.

President Murmu will be holding an interaction with the Indian diaspora and friends of India at a community reception in Auckland, the secretary said.

Notably, the Indian diaspora in New Zealand is about 300,000 strong out of a total population of five million.

The Indian diaspora is a living bridge between the two countries, Mazumdar said, adding, “These warm and friendly ties with New Zealand have seen an uptick in recent years and the visit is expected to give further impetus to the growing relations in a large number of areas.”

On the first leg of the President’s visit, she will head to Fiji on August 5.

During this visit, the President will hold a bilateral meeting with the President of Fiji, Wiliame Katonivere and the Prime Minister of Fiji, Sitiveni Rabuka in Suva.

“The visit confirms and reaffirms the strong commitment of India and Fiji to further strengthen our bilateral relations for the progress and prosperity of the people of our two countries,” the MEA Secretary said.

“Ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi enunciated his Act East policy, the region of Southeast Asia and the Pacific has been a very special focus for us,” the Secretary said, adding that all these three countries fall within our Act East policy.