Timor-Leste seeks to learn from Vietnam's fisheries development experience: Ambassador Pham Binh Dam
WVR - On October 26, in the capital city of Dili, Vietnamese Ambassador to Timor-Leste Pham Binh Dam held a working session with Akasio dos Santos, Director General of the Directorate of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Resource Management, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Forestry of Timor-Leste.
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| Vietnamese Ambassador to Timor-Leste Pham Binh Dam speaking at the working session. |
The two sides discussed the framework for cooperation, human resource development, and investment connectivity in the fisheries sector. Timor-Leste expressed a desire to learn from Vietnam's experience and is actively considering granting licenses for investment projects by Vietnamese enterprises.
During the session, Ambassador Pham Binh Dam emphasized that, based on the strong friendship and partnership spirit between the two countries, Vietnam wishes to concretize the cooperation directions agreed upon by senior leaders, aligning with the development needs and priorities of Timor-Leste.
Following the meeting with Minister Marcos da Cruz, the Ambassador assessed that fisheries is a sector with great potential, capable of making a practical contribution to job creation, livelihood improvement, food security, and export development in Timor-Leste.
The Ambassador noted that from small-scale production, fisheries have become a major export sector for Vietnam, with export turnover increasing from nearly 1.5 billion USD in 2000 to 11.3 billion USD in 2025, making Vietnam the third-largest seafood exporter in the world. Based on this, the Ambassador affirmed Vietnam's readiness to share its experience in developing the fisheries sector, from aquaculture, exploitation, preservation, processing to market development and sector management.
Regarding the cooperation framework, the Ambassador mentioned that Vietnam has forwarded a draft Memorandum of Understanding on fisheries cooperation and hopes for feedback from Timor-Leste to finalize, sign, and implement the document.
In terms of human resource development, the Ambassador suggested several forms of cooperation for joint research, such as training and professional development for officials and technicians, expert exchanges, and technical support for fishermen, through bilateral channels or with the participation of development partners and international organizations, based on specific, feasible projects.
The Ambassador also proposed the possibility of exchanging experiences in developing a comprehensive fisheries strategy, linking resource assessment, identifying farming and exploitation areas with production organization, developing preservation, processing infrastructure, and consumer markets; while sharing experiences in monitoring fishing vessel activities, applying technology in management, and combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, aiming for responsible fisheries development and enhanced market access.
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| Overview of the working session. |
Director General Akasio dos Santos highly appreciated Vietnam's achievements in fisheries development, expressing a desire to learn from Vietnam's experience and requesting Vietnam's support in training human resources in both fisheries management and exploitation. Timor-Leste welcomes Vietnamese investors to invest in infrastructure development and seafood exploitation in the country.
Within the framework of the working session, a representative of Vietnamese investors introduced a project on seafood exploitation and processing in Timor-Leste, with a focus on applying technology in management, monitoring fishing vessels, and product traceability. Akasio dos Santos stated that Timor-Leste is actively considering granting licenses for the project.
The Ambassador suggested that local specialized agencies and businesses enhance exchanges and coordination to resolve obstacles and complete procedures as per regulations, linking investment with technology transfer, local labor training, and sustainable resource utilization.
The Ambassador believes that effectively implementing a specific project, with a roadmap aligned with raw material supply and human resource capacity, will help accumulate cooperation experience, create a foundation for expanding business connections, and attract further investment in Timor-Leste's fisheries sector. The Ambassador affirmed that the Embassy is ready to continue supporting and acting as a bridge between agencies and businesses of the two countries to soon turn cooperation opportunities into tangible results.
(Source: Embassy of Vietnam in Timor-Leste)
