By Liezelle Soriano
The President of Timor-Leste José Ramos-Horta will be visiting the Philippines on November 10 to strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries a ranking official said Sunday.
“The state visit of President Jose Ramos Horta involves discussions with President Bong bong Marcos on various areas of cooperation between the Philippines and Timor-Leste in terms of technical, political, educational and economic partnerships,” Press Secretary Cheloy Garafil said.
Sec. Garafil added that department secretaries of the following agencies will be present during the meeting: Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
In May, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. gave Timor-Leste assurances about the Philippines’ unwavering support for its transition into a full member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) during a bilateral meeting held on the fringes of the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Indonesia.
“In the Philippines, you have a partner. We have always been supportive,” President Marcos told Timor-Leste Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak in the said bilateral meeting at the sidelines of the 42nd ASEAN Summit.
(ai/mnm)