Timor-Leste foreign minister to visit PH on August 19-21

Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Bendito dos Santos Freitas will visit the Philippines this August 19-21, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

DFA Secretary Enrique Manalo and dos Santos Freitas will meet "to discuss the current state of the bilateral and multilateral relationships between the Philippines and Timor-Leste, as well as to exchange views on regional and international developments," the DFA said in a news release on Saturday.

Since assuming the foreign minister post, this will be first time dos Santos Freitas will have an official visit to the Philippines, it added.

Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, gained its independence from Indonesia on May 20, 2002. Before Indonesia took over, East Timor was a colony of Portugal for centuries until November 1975.

Timor-Leste has long sought to be recognized as the 11th member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. reiterated last year the Philippines’ support for Timor-Leste’s full membership in the ASEAN.

"The Philippines welcomes Timor-Leste’s progress in implementing the Roadmap towards Timor-Leste’s full membership to ASEAN and supports Timor-Leste’s efforts in this regard," the DFA said. —KG, GMA Integrated News