TIMOR-LESTE President José Ramos-Horta will visit the Philippines this week to discuss political and economic ties, including educational partnerships, Malacanang said on Sunday.
Mr. Ramos-Horta, who arrives in Manila on Friday, will to seek to tackle “various areas of cooperation between the Philippines and Timor-Leste in terms of technical, political, educational and economic partnerships,” President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s office said in a press release.
Among those meeting Mr. Ramos-Horta are officials of the Departments of Foreign Affairs (DFA), of Trade and Industry (DTI), of Justice (DOJ), of Science and Technology (DOST), and of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Mr. Ramos-Horta and Mr. Marcos met on the sidelines of the 42nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Indonesia in May, with the Philippine leader assuring Timor-Leste of Manila’s continued support for its move towards becoming a full-pledged member of the regional bloc.
“Timor-Leste joined the 42nd ASEAN Summit as an observer where President Marcos expressed elation over its journey towards becoming a democratic state and eventually becoming an ASEAN member state,” Mr. Marcos’ office said.
The Philippines’ gross domestic product amounted to $394.1 billion in 2021, higher than Timor-Leste’s $3.621 billion.
East-Timor Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao signed a comprehensive strategic framework with Chinese President Xi Jinping in September, covering cooperation in agriculture and infrastructure and providing scope for Chinese loans — both public and commercial — for the smaller country.
Tensions between the Philippines and China in the South China Sea have escalated in recent months, with the Chinese coast guard and maritime militia vessels intruding into Manila’s 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone. Despite these, Beijing is still Manila’s largest trade partner, with their total trade amounting to $3.01 billion in April. – Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza