(International) Mudansa-UK Minister of State for Indo-Pacific Anne-Marie Trevelyan will visit Timor-Leste from 29 September to 1 October 2023 to reiterate the UK’s commitment to deepen our partnership with Timor-Leste on health and nutrition, gender equality, and the UK’s support for Timor-Leste’s upcoming accession to The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). This is the first UK ministerial visit to Timor-Leste.
Minister Trevelyan will hold high-level talks with the President of the Republic of Timor-Leste José Ramos-Horta, Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, and Foreign Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas. Discussions will focus on opportunities to deepen bilateral cooperation between the two countries through increased health engagement and joint development initiatives.
The Minister will launch a UK-UNICEF Health Programme to help combat child malnutrition. The program will train community volunteers and establish support groups to encourage and advise parents on healthy feeding practices. Minister Trevelyan will also attend Women in Leadership event co-organised by the Government of Timor-Leste and UNWomen.
This event is supported by UK funding contribution to UNWomen, as part of a wider £3.2m UK-ASEAN programme announced earlier this year. The programme will also promote women’s roles in peace and security initiatives throughout Southeast Asia.
South East Asia is a global centre of economic growth and prosperity, and the UK’s engagement as an ASEAN Dialogue Partner supports the Prime Minister’s priority to grow the economy.
In addition to development cooperation, the UK is supporting Timor-Leste to maintain regional stability, with Royal Navy vessel HMS Spey visiting Dili in August 2023.
UK Minister for Indo-Pacific Anne-Marie Trevelyan said:
“As an ASEAN Dialogue Partner, the UK continues to work closely with partners across Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific to secure sustainable peace and prosperity in the region and address the challenges of the future. On my first visit to Timor-Leste, I look forward to discussing opportunities to enhance our bilateral relationship and collaboration on shared health and development priorities.
They remain steadfast in our support of Timor-Leste’s accession to ASEAN as a key partner on the global stage. The UK’s increased engagement with Timor-Leste demonstrates its long-term commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, in line with the Integrated Review Refresh published in March 2023”.
British Ambassador to Timor-Leste Dominic Jermey said:
“The visit by UK Minister for Indo Pacific Anne-Marie Trevelyan to Timor-Leste reaffirms the UK’s commitment to deepen our collaborations with Timor-Leste, a country that matters greatly to the UK.
The visit will provide opportunity to discuss the strong links, which already exist between the UK and Timor-Leste particularly on health and nutrition, development priorities and our support for Timor-Leste’s smooth accession into ASEAN. We look forward to seeing Timor-Leste develop as a stable and prosperous nation, and the UK-UNICEF health programme is one example of our serious commitment to supporting the President’s priorities on health and nutrition”.
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