'I look forward to the future with a bigger Vietnam’s presence in our country': Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta
WVR - During the state visit to Vietnam (July 31 - August 3), President of Timor-Leste Jose Ramos-Horta gave an exclusive interview to the World and Vietnam Report about the highlights of the visit.
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| President To Lam hosted an official welcoming ceremony for Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta, who is on a state visit to Vietnam from July 31 to August 3. |
President To Lam has been just elected as Party General Secretary. What are messages would you like to share on this occasion?
I extend my warmest greetings and congratulations to His Excellency, President To Lam, on his election as the Secretary General of the Communist Party of Vietnam. This is a significant recognition of President To Lam leadership within the Party and the country, and his collaboration with his comrades towards stability, prosperity, and maintaining a solid international reputation for which Vietnam is already well known. Once again, warmest congratulations to the new Secretary General, President To Lam, on this election.
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| Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta shared with WVR. (Photo: Tuan Viet) |
Could you please share about the highlights of your visit to Vietnam?
It's vital to reconnect and re-energize our relationships every time there is a change in leadership. The contact and connection are crucial so that we know face-to-face who is who and can create a positive atmosphere and good chemistry.
Second, on the issue of substance, Vietnam has been a steadfast, firm supporter of Timor-Leste, going back to our struggle for independence 40, 50 years ago. Since the restoration of independence in 2002, we started diplomatic relations and Vietnam has been very supportive of Timor-Leste's membership in ASEAN. We also discuss areas where we should be able to expand the partnership. Based on an already very good experience and that is with Viettel investment in Timor-Leste through a Vietnamese local company called Telemore.
Telecommunication is very important in modern days, particularly for the people living in rural areas. Telemore is a telephone company, a mobile company, a digital company that reaches out to the villages all over the country. In only a very short period of time, it became known all over the country. And I do like Telemore for the very generous support to our people. I want to see that expanding even more.
At the same time, Vietnam is, you can say, the number one expert in agriculture and all the agricultural derivatives, agricultural technology, irrigation systems, quality of seeds, marketing, infrastructure related to agriculture. Vietnam can help us, and not as charity. We do not look for charity. We are looking for know-how, teaching with skilled people, but not only skilled people who understand the academic side, the theoretical side of agriculture, but maybe also sending some Vietnamese farmers to Timor-Leste to work there. So they could come and work on some land because then our people will see, they see every day better than sitting in classroom, talkshow… I look forward to the future with a bigger Vietnam’s presence in our country.
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| Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta shared with WVR. (Photo: Tuan Viet) |
The President has visited Vietnam many times. What are your most impressions of Vietnam's development in recent years?
Well, I have been to Vietnam already, I think, four times. First time in January 2000. Second time was when I was Foreign Minister. Third time in 2010 when I was President. And now again. But over the years, I read alot about Vietnam, I read through magazines, everything. I read profusely over the years about the great leader Ho Chi Minh and all the great Vietnamese generals. I read about the Dien Bien Phu. I read about the Tet offensive. I read about the liberation of Saigon... And of course, I read about the tragedies that impacted Vietnam, the bombing of Vietnam, and the defoliant to destroy the forests of Vietnam. I also read about poverty when two million people died from starvation from poverty. So all of this belongs to the past, the memory, the living memory of Vietnamese people.
Today, it is an internationally prestigious country, very independent in foreign policy, prosperous, affluent, and I believe in another few years, Vietnam will reach among the top five, top ten in global powers.
What are the new goals in bilateral cooperation at which the two countries are aiming after the visit?
Well, on our side, the absolute priority is infrastructure development, agriculture, food security, nutrition, particularly for children, newborn babies, their mothers, to improve their health condition. And to do that, we are pursuing policies in an integrated fashion, to which Vietnam can support other countries, with UN agencies. At the same time, we are working hard towards ASEAN membership and I look forward to sending Timorese officials to Vietnam or maybe we can work out a special program in Timor-Leste but with Vietnamese instructors, educators from the Vietnam Foreign Ministry or retired Vietnamese officials who are already retired. They can come to Timor-Leste to conduct training sessions in regard to ASEAN.
ASEAN has many aspects with diplomacy, trade, investment rules, investment law protection, how to expedite registration of investors of companies, and so on. It means preparing us for regional integration, for regional trade integration, for international trade, for how to handle and promote conditions in the country to accommodate foreign investments, FDIs. We have an endless list of challenges and Vietnam can help us in that regard.
What are your comments of the importance of the ASEAN “common roof” in ensuring regional development and prosperity as well as Timor-Leste's efforts to become a full member of ASEAN?
Well, I hope that in 2025, next year, under the chairmanship of Malaysia, Timor Leste can enter ASEAN as a full-fledged 11th member.
Are we ready for next year? We think, however, this is the million-dollar question: What being “ready” means. Well, all ASEAN countries when they joined, were they ready? What does it mean to be ready? Because we all keep developing, we keep developing, and many ASEAN leaders told me, when they joined ASEAN the first time, they said they were poorer than Timor-Leste, they have less money than Timor Leste. But they joined right away. So in that regard, we are ready to join as long as everybody understands that it will take us another five years, ten years to keep improving. From 2025 another five years, ten years to reach heavenly perfection, heavenly perfection, perfection in heaven similar.
If ASEAN leaders agree, we are aiming to force ourselves to work harder, to join in 2025. But if ASEAN leaders decide 2026, 2027, for us, it's not the end of the world.
