Shared joy highlights Timor-Leste Minister's first official visit to Vietnam
WVR - Choosing the S-shaped country as the first destination in his journey to member countries ahead of joining ASEAN, Timor-Leste's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Bendito dos Santos Freitas expressed his delight as the aspiration for a better future for his people resonates with the consistent spirit of support and readiness to share experiences from Vietnam.
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| Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh receives Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Bendito dos Santos Freitas, September 16, 2025. (Source: VGP) |
Timor-Leste's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Bendito dos Santos Freitas officially visited Vietnam (from September 15-17) with great enthusiasm – Timor-Leste will officially join the "common house" of ASEAN at the Summit in October. This personal joy is also a shared joy, as Vietnam and Timor-Leste aim for more complete cooperation between the two countries and the regional community.
This is Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas's first official visit to Vietnam (September 15-17). Notably, the Timor-Leste Minister chose Vietnam as the first country to visit among member countries ahead of officially joining ASEAN.
During the visit, Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas met with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and held talks with Party Central Committee Secretary and Acting Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung.
| During the meeting with Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that Vietnam will continue to support Timor-Leste in effectively participating in ASEAN activities, keeping pace with the overall development of the group. He believes Timor-Leste's accession will open a new chapter for ASEAN, making the Community more complete and serving as a driving force for ASEAN's increasingly strong and united development. |
Standing side by side
Receiving Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that Timor-Leste's imminent membership as the 11th ASEAN member is a historic event, affirming Timor-Leste's position, prestige, and relentless efforts; he is confident that Timor-Leste will join ASEAN countries in building a united, resilient, and sustainably developing Community.
The shared joy with the country and people of Timor-Leste recalls the handshake and affirmation "we support Timor-Leste joining ASEAN" from Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta at the ASEAN Future Forum 2025 high-level discussion earlier this year.
"Supporting Timor-Leste" was also the overarching message during the talks between the two countries' foreign affairs leaders on this occasion. Acting Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung emphasized that ASEAN member countries expect and desire Timor-Leste's accession to be a timely and strategic addition to ASEAN's future; he affirmed that Vietnam will continue to actively support Timor-Leste in effectively participating and making positive contributions to the ASEAN Community; he hopes Timor-Leste will proactively work with ASEAN to effectively implement key Association plans, especially the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.
The Acting Foreign Minister shared with his Timor-Leste counterpart Vietnam's experiences from three decades as an Association member, especially the "tips" and lessons when first stepping into the "common house".
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| Party Central Committee Secretary and Acting Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung welcomes Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Bendito dos Santos Freitas, September 16. (Photo: Quang Hoa) |
In an interview with the World and Vietnam Report right after the talks, Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas affirmed that Vietnam's rich experiences in ASEAN will be an "invaluable guide" helping Timor-Leste confidently join the Association. The Minister was moved and appreciated the consistent and steadfast support from Vietnam's leaders, diplomats, and experts for the long-held aspiration of the Timor-Leste people to become an official ASEAN member.
Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas emphasized that Timor-Leste's accession to ASEAN will be a proud moment, as Timor-Leste not only joins a regional organization but also becomes part of a large family that values solidarity, dialogue, and mutual support. This step, according to the Minister, "strengthens our independence, enhances resilience, and opens new opportunities for youth, businesses, regional integration, and comprehensive socio-economic development".
The historic event for Timor-Leste and ASEAN next month is the "sweet fruit" of a journey spanning nearly 14 years since Timor-Leste applied to join the Association in 2011. At the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits (November 2022 in Cambodia), all ASEAN member countries agreed to grant observer status to Timor-Leste, from which Timor-Leste began actively participating in many Association activities, including summits and a number of meetings.
New chapter, new heights
"Right after Timor-Leste joins ASEAN...", a timeline frequently mentioned by Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas when sharing with the World and Vietnam Report his expectations for a new chapter of cooperation between the two countries in the near future, as Timor-Leste becomes a piece of the more complete future of ASEAN and is ready to reach new heights in cooperation with Vietnam across all fields.
This determination is clearly reflected in the talks between the two Ministers as both sides agreed to closely coordinate to effectively implement bilateral cooperation areas, aiming to soon elevate the relationship between the two countries. The sense of urgency is also evident through the priority "tasks" set out. Both sides agreed to continue enhancing exchanges of delegations at all levels, promoting party channel cooperation; effectively implementing the Framework Agreement on Economic-Technical Cooperation and soon organizing the first Joint Committee meeting at the Foreign Minister level; swiftly completing and signing the visa exemption agreement for ordinary passport holders, further facilitating people-to-people exchanges...
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| Party Central Committee Secretary and Acting Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung holds talks with Timor-Leste's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Bendito dos Santos Freitas, September 16., 2025 (Photo: Quang Hoa) |
Economic, trade, and investment cooperation is considered a top priority in bilateral cooperation in the coming time. Accordingly, the two Ministers agreed to facilitate trade in goods, expanding market access in each country not only for rice, Vietnam's main export to Timor-Leste, but also expanding to other products such as seafood, textiles...
Inspired by the success story of Viettel, Acting Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung suggested that Timor-Leste create more favorable conditions for Vietnamese enterprises to expand their investments in the region, especially in areas where Vietnam has strengths and Timor-Leste has demand such as 5G telecommunications networks, providing digital service solutions for government agencies, and oil and gas exploration and exploitation.
Regarding regional and international cooperation, both sides affirmed continued close coordination in multilateral and regional mechanisms; emphasizing the importance of maintaining peace, stability, safety, and security of navigation and overflight in the East Sea based on international law, including UNCLOS 1982.
It can be said that Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas's confidence in a new chapter and new heights in bilateral relations is not only strengthened by the "aspiration being realized" as Timor-Leste will soon officially join Vietnam as ASEAN members but also lies in the admiration that the government and people of Timor-Leste have always had for the S-shaped land and the strong friendship between the two countries.
| "Vietnam is the first country I visit on this ASEAN tour. Through this, I have the opportunity to express my deep gratitude to the leaders, Government, and people of Vietnam for their steadfast support for Timor-Leste throughout the ASEAN accession process". (Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas shared with The World and Vietnam Report) |
Vietnam was the first country to recognize Timor-Leste's independence in 1975 and has always provided invaluable support for Timor-Leste in its reconstruction and development process. Sharing with The World and Vietnam Report, Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas expressed Timor-Leste's admiration for Vietnam's remarkable development journey, from post-war reconstruction to becoming one of Asia's most dynamic economies. Vietnam's experiences in poverty reduction, industrialization, and digital development offer many valuable lessons for Timor-Leste.
"With 72% of the population under 35, we are particularly eager to learn from Vietnam's success in leveraging the demographic dividend, turning the young population into a driving force for rapid economic growth and enhancing national strength", Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas hopes.
Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas brought to Vietnam the joy and excitement from the hearts of the Timor-Leste people at the historic moment of starting a new chapter in regional integration, and surely, leaving Vietnam, that joy is multiplied many times as aspirations for a more complete future are strongly resonated by Vietnam with a consistent spirit of support and readiness to share experiences with the Timor-Leste friend.
