Minister Bendito of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation dos Santos Freitas chaired the first Executive Committee meeting to review national readiness and set priorities for Timor-Leste’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2029.
The Government of Timor-Leste strengthened preparations for the country’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2029 during the inaugural meeting of the Executive Committee of the ASEAN Chair National Organising Committee (ACNOC) in Dili on 16 July.
The meeting wss joined by Vice Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Minister of Public Works, Minister of Transport and Communications, Vice Minister of Finance, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Vice Minister for ASEAN Affairs, Vice Minister for Infrastructure, Secretary of State for Social Communication, and representatives from other ministries and institutions.
The Executive Committee reviewed priorities from five strategic sectors: human resources, infrastructure, security, communications and diplomacy, and finance and strategic coordination. Discussions also focused on cross-sectoral challenges, priority actions for 2026 and preparations for the upcoming High-Level ACNOC Meeting chaired by H.E. Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão.
In his opening remarks, Minister Bendito described the ASEAN Chairmanship as the largest diplomatic and organisational undertaking in Timor-Leste’s history, stressing that its success would require strong coordination across government institutions and a whole-of-government and whole-of-nation approach.
Source: Government of Timor-Leste, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Timor-Leste
