SINGAPORE: Singapore will establish an embassy in Dili, Timor-Leste, announced the republic’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan on Monday.
“This will be a significant milestone, and it will serve as a focal point for our bilateral cooperation with Timor-Leste,” said Balakrishnan.
Balakrishnan is currently in Timor-Leste for a five-day official visit since Sunday (23 July).
The announcement was made during a joint press conference with Timor-Leste’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Bendito Dos Santos Freitas.
The transcript was made available on the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.
Balakrishnan said that while Timor-Leste continues to develop as a country and as a nation, especially as they join Asean, thus he believed “this is the time to establish a resident embassy to be the focal point for our cooperation, for our support and for the mutual exploration of opportunities in the future.”
The minister noted that Singapore will have a resident ambassador, but for now, Robin Hu, the current Non-Resident Ambassador “remains very much in charge.”
Singapore was Timor-Leste’s second-largest trading partner and export destination in 2021.
The republic is also a major foreign investor in Timor-Leste. – BERNAMA
