Timor-Leste Foreign Affairs Minister Visits Singapore

Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas strengthens bilateral ties during his introductory visit to Singapore from June 26 to 28, 2024.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Timor-Leste, Bendito dos Santos Freitas, is on an official visit to Singapore from June 26 to 28, 2024. This visit marks his first official trip to Singapore.

On June 27, 2024, Minister Freitas met with Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. They discussed the longstanding and friendly relations between Singapore and Timor-Leste. Prime Minister Wong reaffirmed Singapore’s support for Timor-Leste’s efforts to join ASEAN, highlighting the Singapore-Timor-Leste ASEAN Readiness Support (STARS) package launched in December 2022 and the Initiative for ASEAN Integration.

Later that day, Minister Freitas was hosted for lunch by Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan. The two ministers celebrated the excellent relations between their countries and the establishment of the Singapore Embassy in Dili in April 2024, which marked a significant milestone in their bilateral relationship. They agreed to enhance cooperation in areas such as human resource development, trade and investment, energy, and education.

Following their meeting, the ministers signed an agreement on mutual visa waivers for diplomatic, official, service, and ordinary passport holders. Under this agreement, Singaporean passport holders will be exempted from visa requirements for stays of up to 30 days in Timor-Leste, while Timor-Leste passport holders will continue to enjoy up to 30 days visa-free stays in Singapore. This agreement is part of the efforts to meet the requirements of Timor-Leste’s roadmap to ASEAN accession and to strengthen people-to-people ties between the two nations.