Intervention of the President of the Republic, Ramos-Horta, On the Occasion of the Solemn Opening Ceremony of the Legislative Session of the National Parliament
16th September 2024
Madam President of the National Parliament, Mr Prime-Minister, Mr President of the Court of Appeal,
Members of the Government, Ladies and Gentlemen
Honourable Members,
Protocol observed
The year 2024 has been very special for Timor-Leste, marked by a series of major events. Domestically, we continue to enjoy peace, security and tranquillity.
We have witnessed many social, cultural, academic and scientific activities, such as the visit of Nobel Prize Laureate and major figures in the fields of science and technology.
We have seen a greater flow of commercial activity and great interest from important investors. I would highlight the shipbuilding project by a Japanese group, the solar energy project co-financed by a private French and Japanese consortium. The Millennium Challenge Corporation’s major project, which has been dragging on for many months, hampered by individual interests, that could be advanced with an executive order. Fortunately, and finally, the project to upgrade and modernise Dili’s international airport has already been given the green light by the government.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is only waiting for our country to approve the Law on Investment Protection and Elimination of Double Taxation so that UAE companies can invest in our country.
On the external front, I would highlight celebrations and visits by high dignitaries, such as the very successful State Visits by His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam, His Excellencies the President of India and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Deputy Prime-Minister and Minister of Defence of Australia, Deputy Prime-Minister of Malaysia, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the sister Republic of Angola, Minister of State and Foreign Affairs of Portugal, among many other prominent personalities.
These visits converged with the commemorations of the 25th anniversary of the Popular Consultation of 30 August 1999 and the INTERFET mission.
But the visit that most mobilised the state and the people was that of His Holiness Pope Francis, a blessing for our nation, a blessing that will continue to echo in every Timorese home, uniting us in faith, hope and renewed determination to consolidate peace and freedoms.
We express our deepest gratitude to the Holy Father for blessing our land with his presence for three unforgettable, spiritually-charged days. He mobilised and inspired believers, sovereign bodies, national authorities and representatives of Timorese civil society.
May God continue to hear our prayers, granting the Holy Father good health in carrying out God’s mandate on earth.
I express my deep appreciation to the Nunciature and to the Papal Representative Monsignor Marco Sprizzi, a permanent, attentive, active presence; to His Eminence Dom Virgílio Cardinal do Carmo da Silva, SDB, Metropolitan Archbishop of Dili, and to all the bishops, religious, lay people and believers who have made it possible to realise this great collective plan for the Timorese people.
I extend special thanks to Prime-Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão whose tireless leadership, with his permanent presence, night and day, with excellent inter-ministerial teamwork, active partnership with the Nunciature, the Catholic Church and Timorese civil society, generated the great success that was the apostolic visit of His Holiness Pope Francis.
More than 600,000 people, Catholics, Muslims, Protestants, Buddhists, and brothers and sisters of other faiths, the elderly, men and women, children and young people, are all to be congratulated for the exemplary and inspiring civic spirit that filled His Holiness with happiness and honoured our country.
Prime Minister Xanana deserves all our appreciation and congratulations for his professionalism and speed in planning and carrying out infrastructure works that enrich the national heritage. These are necessary infrastructures that remain and enhance the city and the country.
A special word to all families and citizens, especially our young people, so that we can continue to be worthy and respectful examples, reflecting the true essence of our people.
Let’s continue to cherish and protect this ‘Oasis of Peace’ of ours, a beacon of peace and reconciliation, a meeting place for civilisations, religions, peacemakers and human fraternity.
On his departure, as I was about to get on the plane, Pope Francis said to me, moved: ‘Take care of this wonderful people’.
Below I share some of His Holiness’s statements from the AeroDili Airbus that took him to Singapore.
According to Ecclesia Agency, the Holy Father, speaking at the end of his visit to Asia and the Pacific, said he had ‘fallen in love’ with Timor-Leste. The publication refers to hundreds of thousands of people on the streets of Dili between 9 and 11 September.
His Holiness said, speaking to journalists:
‘I’ll tell you one thing: I’ve fallen in love with Timor-Leste,’ he told journalists accompanying his flight back to Rome from Singapore.
Asked by a Timorese journalist about the image of the ‘crocodiles’ that threaten the country’s culture, at the Mass he presided over in Taci Tolu His Holiness said:
‘Timor-Leste has a simple, family-orientated, joyful culture, it has a culture of life, it has many children, many, and when I was talking about crocodiles, I was talking about the ideas that can come from outside to spoil this harmony that you have,’ he said.
The Pope denied that he was referring to the growth of sects.
On religions and sects, His Holiness said:
‘All religions must be respected, but there is a distinction between religion and sect. Religion is universal, any religion; a sect is restrictive, it’s a small group that always has another intention,’ he said, before offering his “congratulations” to the Timorese people, who had received the first visit from a pontiff since their independence.
Your Excellencies,
We should reflect on the progress and challenges we have faced over the last few years.
For myself, I don’t claim any successes. And I’m sorry for the mistakes.
During the 2022 Presidential Election Campaign, I heard statements about an inevitable political crisis, the dissolution of the National Parliament and the resignation of the ‘VIII Government’, a government that we all know was based on a dubious constitutional foundation.
But to the surprise of many, I did everything I could to contribute to political stability and social peace.
I didn’t isolate myself in my office; I didn’t receive the usual congratulations in a civil society. I registered and greeted the defeated; I was the one who came down from the Palace to greet them. Despite the personal insults, I offered my hands.
The much-feared dissolution of the National Parliament and the calling of early general elections did not take place.
I tried to re-establish institutional dialogue, and avoided being a cause for blocking executive branch policies and the legislative agenda.
I don’t ignore or minimize the heavy legacy inherited from my predecessors, a very difficult situation marked by crises, the Covid-19 pandemic, disruptions to economic networks, natural disasters and wars by the major powers, with catastrophic repercussions on the world economy.
A cycle of tensions began in 2017. The Seventh Government, without a parliamentary majority, was unable to pass its Government Programme or the General State Budget Law for the 2018 fiscal year. This resulted in almost ten months of duodecimal regime and the calling of early elections.
The VIII Constitutional Government faced its own crisis amid the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters that struck our country for two consecutive years.
When I took over the presidency, I made our accession to ASEAN and the WTO our top priorities, with the understanding that we would have to actively reactivate our bilateral relations, especially with neighbouring countries.
We made state visits to the member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP), and our two neighbours and biggest trading partners, Indonesia and Australia.
With the re-election of President Lula in Brazil, relations between our two countries are being actively relaunched.
We have resumed relations that seemed to be dorment with Germany, Australia, China, South Korea, France, India, Japan, New Zealand, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Spain, the European Union and the United States.
We have revitalised relationships with the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Koveit and Saudi Arabia.
We are seeking new opportunities for cooperation and investment, taking advantage of our membership of ASEAN and the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
Your Excellencies,
Not everyone shares this great national plan to make Timor-Leste an active and participatory member of the International Community.
The Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, Article 87, gives the President of the Republic an important role in international relations.
As President of the Republic and guarantor of the regular functioning of democratic institutions, under the terms of Article 74, as well as Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, under the terms of Article 72 of our Constitution, I would like to address, in the context of taking stock of my presidential mandate, the issue of the sustainable development of FALINTIL – Defence Forces of Timor-Leste (F-FDTL) and the National Police of Timor-Leste (PNTL).
One issue I have repeatedly raised is the need to always give absolute priority to the ‘quality’ and not the ‘quantity’ ratio of the defence and security forces.
I raise this question in accordance with my long personal, professional and international experience, with more than 50 years of close observation of the evolution of defence and security in various parts of the world. This experience includes not only my role as Head of State or former member of the Government, but also as Leader of the High Level Independent Panel for UN Peace Operations from 2013 to 2016.
In 2013, the then UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, announced the formation of this panel and invited me to chair it, with the aim of evaluating and producing a report with recommendations for the Security Council on UN peace operations, with a view to making them more effective and responsive to contemporary challenges.
With the same aim of promoting the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of the missions and services provided by the F-FDTL and PNTL, I raise the question: what kind of armed and security forces do we want for our country? Muscular forces, with a heavy structure and a high number of personnel, calculated by a certain ratio between the number of military personnel or agents and our population?
Or should we think of a small, sustainable force, proportional to the national GDP, and devote prepared resources to this force, investing heavily in the qualification, training and continuous and permanent training of human resources, promoting excellence in results and the effective and efficient management of available resources?
I prefer and defend the second option, combined with budgeting that, while focusing on human resources as the foundation for achieving good results, also focuses on fair remuneration and incentives for the respective members of the military and police careers.
A commitment to the quality of missions, objectives and services, with salaries commensurate with the risk of their respective professions and capable of preventing attempts at corruption among those to whom we entrust our defence, security, peace and public harmony.
I do not advise ‘gigantism’ with thousands of personnel at all levels of public administration, I continue to promote an unyielding defence in favour of a small force of women and men, military and police, but highly organised, trained and remunerated, supported by a strong rearguard of strategic planning, maintenance and logistics, equipped with modern civilian and military technology, to anticipate the evolution of internal and external threats and fulfil their noble mission.
Your Excellencies,
But my balance could not fail to address an issue that I consider to be of fundamental importance, in line with the commitments I have publicly made to our country, especially in favour of the most deprived, vulnerable, unprotected and excluded groups in our society.
These commitments, which I have embraced wholeheartedly, place the highest priority on babies, children, pregnant women and mothers, because I believe that they represent our nation’s most sacred resource – both in the past and in the present and, crucially, for the future. This supreme resource of the Timorese nation must be nurtured, protected and loved with the utmost affection by all of us – children, husbands and family members.
It is with great concern that I observe the high levels of maternal and child malnutrition and the persistent problem of stunting, which affects the growth of our children. These problems obviously jeopardise our future.
We urgently need an integrated and effective approach to combat malnutrition, ensuring that all Timorese children have the opportunity to grow up healthy and strong.
We must consecrate the central role of women and mothers, recognising them as the backbone of our families and society.
We have to value the sacrifices that women make throughout their lives, especially the suffering linked to motherhood, which persists in times of peace as well as war.
Women and babies who are happy, strong and healthy are indispensable for our collective survival.
We must invest intelligently in instruments and mechanisms that I consider essential for the sustainable strengthening of our families.
I am referring in particular to family farming, which flourishes in the backyards and gardens of our homes throughout the country. This sector forms the basis of our collective food security and can serve as the foundation for a Timor-Leste that is self-sufficient in food production and more resilient to external crises and extreme climate change events.
Betting on this family and rural Timor-Leste is, in my opinion, investing wisely in a mosaic of vibrant and active private initiatives.
That’s why I advocate more attention to the real country, with a focus on exploiting new sources of water, creating strategic reserves through tanks and dams, and community distribution and irrigation of fields with this precious resource.
Water, essential for life, health, hygiene practices associated with drinking water.
The commitment to the real country also requires greater proximity between the services and the beneficiary populations.
We need basic education, social security and health services, especially rural clinics that are properly equipped and staffed with people trained in preventive community health.
This network must mobilise efforts in favour of nutritional health education, combating imported food addictions and raising awareness among children and families about the advantages of local products, such as proteins, fruit and legumes, which are 100% organic and pesticide-free.
This effort must be integrated in rural areas, municipalities and regions of the country, combining scientific knowledge of good medical and nutritional practices with healthy lifestyles that promote useful and productive citizenship, for example through sport.
Your Excellencies,
Twenty-two years after the restoration of independence, I continue to defend a Timor-Leste that is open and welcoming to all nations. This is a conviction that I have always held, defending the opening of our airspace to all companies that wish to use our airports as a platform for regional and intercontinental flights.
This openness also extends to our seaports, with the aim of transforming the Port of Tibar Bay into an alternative for processing containers, products and goods.
Our openness must also encompass the land border, where our local populations share cultural, family and religious traditions.
I would argue that the land border should be an area of special economic development, capable of materialising the spirit of community that we want to build with our neighbouring country and with the other member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
This same openness must be reflected in the mobility of people and services, projecting our steps towards full membership of the ASEAN Community and Common Market, boosting the export of our human resources and services, while benefiting from the import of highly specialised technical and scientific resources and services, which have contributed significantly to our economic growth and development.
Opening up to mobility should follow the best international examples, raising our national ambition and creating the conditions to attract investors and partnerships that can put Timor-Leste on the map of technological and financial services. I’m talking about the examples of Dubai and Singapore, which have promoted ‘open borders’ policies, encouraging the movement of people, tourists, entrepreneurs and businesspeople, by granting visas on arrival, for transit or short-term tourism.
These countries have been able to create technologically advanced conditions to guarantee border security and the regularity of migratory flows, using digital mechanisms and progressively removing paper-based bureaucracies. Mechanisms such as electronic forms, electronic visas and residence permits, electronic payments and security checks carried out using new and increasingly innovative technologies.
I advocate the creation of digital borders, combined with digital documents, such as the Timorese electronic passport, which has already made us one of the most secure travel documents in the world and allows us to enjoy visas on arrival or visa-free travel in more than 80 countries.
It is therefore with some sadness that I realise that this ‘opening of Timor-Leste to the world’, which I have always defended, is not an idea shared by everyone, especially by some authorities with high administrative, security or governmental responsibilities.
Instead of our services moving towards e-Government with one voice, dematerialising paper forms and processes, removing bureaucratic procedures and promoting electronic methods that are properly articulated with sophisticated security systems, I notice that some services, especially at the borders, stubbornly favour paper over digital, preferring to place attachés in embassies to process certificates, identity cards, passports or visas, instead of adopting technologically modern solutions.
We should follow the best examples of our international partners, such as Singapore, Australia and Indonesia, where electronic, intelligent and dematerialised paper borders are already a reality. Also examples from the airline industry, which many years ago eliminated the need for printed tickets, without compromising the safety of people and goods in the airspace.
Regulated by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), these systems allow the use of Timor-Leste’s electronic passport, helping us to combat human trafficking networks, people smuggling and transnational crimes such as terrorism, through increasingly sophisticated and cooperative information and intelligence systems, such as those of Interpol and other international police cooperation systems.
Systems that continue to make air transport the safest mode of transportation, allowing for security checks from the moment of ticket booking (1st Border), long before arriving at the departure airport, transit (2nd Border), or final destination (3rd Border).
Therefore, I will remain vigilant and combative against any initiative that unjustifiably seeks to isolate Timor-Leste from the world, creating material obstacles that have already been overcome in the vast majority of countries, under the alleged justification of “strengthening our borders and security.” These obstacles, in my opinion, represent an existential regression, which, by ignoring the lessons of our recent history, seeks to hinder the movement of people and goods, contradicting our public statements and international commitments.
I am referring to the excessive paperwork bureaucracy, such as immigration or customs cards, the unjustified and politicized proliferation of attachés in embassies instead of more accessible online services, and the delays in processing requests, without deadlines, accountability, or consideration of objectives.
This excess of bureaucracy perpetuates procedures and invites corrupt practices, which, to be overcome, require the removal of barriers created by our own administrative practices. This problem has become widespread in society and affects a large part of our public administration.
I express my determination to fight against these bureaucratic blockages, characterized by excessive paperwork and administrative formalities, which threaten to perpetuate delays in development, precisely when we should be collectively striving for Timor-Leste’s leap forward into a highly digital and electronic society.
This is a crucial historical moment if we want to capitalize on the investments made in national connectivity, including road, maritime, air, electrical, and communication infrastructure. Highlighting the operational launch of the submarine Fiber optic cable, which promises to revolutionize how Timor-Leste interacts with the world!
I therefore take this opportunity, provided by this House of Democracy, to make an appeal to the esteemed Deputies, the Government, and Civil Society, so that we can realize not only higher education projects in new technologies or digital cities, following the example of Silicon Valley, but, above all, a Digital Nation that promotes, with courage and determination, E-Government, which has been advocated and publicized throughout successive administrations.
A call that translates into challenges, such as the creation of a Single Citizen Card that combines voter numbers and cards, identity cards, driver’s licenses, tax identification, and social security into a true single identity.
Challenges for better services that are more effective and efficient, highly technological, integrated, and interconnected, with cooperative and collaborative computer systems, allowing us to access public services at the distance of “a click on the internet,” from the comfort of our offices or homes.
I also challenge civil society to bring our products online, leveraging digital markets to promote our exports and services. This includes taking advantage of our recent accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), our presence in the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), and our full integration into ASEAN, which we hope to achieve in the upcoming year of 2025.
It is a challenge for our hotels, restaurants, tourism services, cultural, innovative, and artistic sectors to internationalize our economy through digitalization or technological, economic, and financial innovation.
I invite everyone to imagine with me an ‘e-Timor’ (Electronic Timor), in all areas of activity—education, health, construction, agriculture, fisheries, natural resource exploration, energy transition, green and blue economy—that uses new technologies to promote the ‘made in Timor-Leste’ brands, services, and products, but also to strengthen security and consolidate our identity and sovereignty.
Soon, this National Parliament will begin the debate on the Proposal for the State Budget for the year 2025. This is a crucial year to accelerate our national development process.
This debate will take place in a new political and social context, a moment that encourages us to be active, participative, and committed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that we have undertaken with our partners.
We must be active in the fight for major national causes—eliminating extreme poverty and maternal and child malnutrition, food insecurity, and stunting that affects thousands of Timorese children. We need to be participatory in defending fundamental rights, including equal opportunities, social inclusion, women’s empowerment, access to education, healthcare, social security, and basic infrastructure services such as electricity, water, and sanitation, as well as connectivity and social, cultural, and economic initiatives.
This situation is different from my first year in office, when we faced the urgent need for a supplementary budget for the fiscal year 2023. At that time, after the general elections and with the IX Government’s program legitimized by our people, it was imperative to approve the necessary financial means for the implementation of its government policies during the fiscal year 2024.
However, we should not only focus on the execution rates and the speed of expenditure without considering the benefits achieved in terms of economic and social well-being. We must reflect on the objectives and the impact that this public expenditure policy has provided in terms of fostering the economy and growing national wealth.
I always strive to be prompt in the promulgation of laws and was quick in the approval of the General State Budget Law for 2024.
However, it is essential to combine speed, effectiveness, and efficiency with criteria of quality, excellence, and accountability. This will allow us to make an impartial assessment of the impact of expenditure on improving the living conditions of citizens, families, businesses, and civil society organizations.
It is essential to make a reflective assessment of our collective progress, raising morally important questions:
- Have we improved poverty indices?
- Have we reduced malnutrition and stunting?
- Have we improved living conditions, especially for the most vulnerable?
- Have we created more opportunities for the development of young people’s potential?
- Have we provided more opportunities for the inclusion of people with disabilities?
- Have we made progress in the economic and political empowerment of women?
The list can be extended if we wish.
As President of the Republic, I have sought to mobilize resources in support of these causes. During this speech, a video is being shown that highlights the humanitarian and social work promoted individually or institutionally by the Presidency of the Republic, in support of the major goals that motivate us.
Presidential programs, some with public resources and others with the support of friends, demonstrate the social activity that we can and must develop to mitigate difficulties and create conditions for improving the indices and indicators of our Human Development.
We should not forget the significant results achieved in recent years, with good indicators in life expectancy, improvements in mortality, and access to various basic services, education, healthcare, and electricity, which position us in important international comparative lists.
However, past successes should not make us complacent in the face of significant challenges.
The major causes that should drive political and governmental action must keep ‘people at the centre of the state’s activities and its institutions.
I would like to alert the Distinguished Deputies that I will be attentive to the assessment of the current fiscal year and the expenditure proposals presented for the next year, during the promulgation process.
In particular, I will monitor the quality of expenditure and the need to avoid unnecessary or superfluous spending.
I will also be attentive to the expenditures made by the Embassies and External Services, particularly the costs related to the scope of their respective missions and the objectives achieved, often associated with so-called Advisers and Attachés, whose numbers are sometimes inflated without justification. These expenses must be properly justified, supported by detailed reports on the volume of services, the benefits generated, and the concrete diplomatic or consular value achieved.
Justifications related to benefits and productivity should also be applied to autonomous services, companies, and public institutes under state oversight. These justifications must be closely linked to reforms in quality, effectiveness, and efficiency, in the implementation of e-Government, cost containment, and the preservation of assets and equipment, ensuring the proper use of the scarce resources available.
The preservation of assets and equipment must ensure their usage timelines, with measures for maintenance, repair, rehabilitation, and recovery of movable and immovable property. It should promote necessary cuts that can be redirected to prioritize major national causes, rather than the waste typically recorded in bureaucracy and the excessive burden of the state apparatus.
The Presidency has implemented a $500,000 cut in its budget, redirecting funds to flagship programs such as the People’s Canteen and support for vulnerable families. I would like to see these examples replicated by the Government and witnessed in this National Parliament. During the Budgetary Sessions, I hope to see not only speeches from officials but also practical and evident measures of cuts in operational and administrative expenses, in favour of programs that actively contribute to the social and economic well-being of citizens.
In 2024, we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the National Reconciliation Process.
This process was initiated by the then Commander-in-Chief of the Timorese Resistance and Prime Minister, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, who outlined a strategy based on reconciliation as an essential pillar for building our rule of law state, sovereign, democratic, free, and independent.
It is a process internationally recognized as being built on the principles of peace, security, and sustainable development. However, despite being widely endorsed in public statements and political speeches, the reconciliation process has not yet been fully enshrined in legislative practice.
As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Popular Consultation on August 30, 1999, and the 25 years of the INTERFET Mission, it is timely to recall the crucial and decisive role of Indonesia, its new leadership, and its Armed Forces, the TNI.
In the context of the severe economic crisis in Southeast Asia between 1997 and 1998 and the subsequent political turmoil, the late President B.J. Habibie proved to be up to the historical challenges. Habibie led the Indonesian nation with courage and calm, guiding it towards democracy and the resolution of the conflict in Timor-Leste.
With the support of his diplomatic advisor, Prof. Dr. Dewi Fortuna Anwar, and the Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs, General Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), President Habibie advanced the dialogue between Indonesia and Portugal, which culminated in the ‘Popular Consultation’ of August 30, 1999.
At the initiative of Minister Yudhoyono, a central role was given to ASEAN member countries and others from Asia in the composition of INTERFET, giving it an ‘Asian face.’ Thailand’s Foreign Minister, Surin Pitsuwan, coordinated efforts for the visible participation of ASEAN peacekeeping forces. In September 1999, contingents from South Korea, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand arrived in Timor-Leste, alongside forces led by Major-General Peter Cosgrove (Australia) and his Deputy, Major-General Sonkitti Jaggabattra (Thailand). Generals from the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand commanded the UN peacekeeping forces in Timor-Leste at different times.
We also thank the contributions of other countries over the years, including Brazil, Bangladesh, China, Japan, Jordan, Pakistan, Portugal, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, among others.
Your Excellencies,
Distinguished Deputies,
Indonesia left Timor-Leste because it chose to honour the commitments made to the United Nations, which anticipated its withdrawal and the replacement by International Forces, tasked with ensuring the security of the territory.
In 1999, following the economic crisis that shook the New Order, the TNI could have seized power, resisting the winds of change. By demonstrating a high sense of statehood, it did not block the ‘Reformasi’ movement, which resulted in a new, democratic, prosperous, and peaceful Indonesia.
The way the TNI resolved the Timorese issue, allowing the transfer of security to an international force, is a remarkable example. Had it resisted, it is unlikely that any force in the world could have countered it.
The process of peaceful resolution of the Timorese issue, combined with our reconciliation over the past 25 years, has earned Indonesia increasing international respect as a model of successful transition from dictatorship to democracy, and from an occupying nation to a fraternal and friendly neighbour.
We maintain familial, historical, linguistic, and cultural ties with Indonesia that bring us closer together as we advance towards full integration into ASEAN. We are fraternal brothers; we are not adversaries but partners in development. We share a common language, Bahasa Indonesia, spoken by a large part of our population.
We value our cultural identity, anchored in the Tétum language, which is supported by Portuguese and the Catholic faith, but also embraces other languages, nationalities, beliefs, and cultures.
We continue to build a nation of law, free and open, prepared to welcome investors and compete in new global markets
We are situated in a vibrant region with over 700 million inhabitants and a GDP exceeding 4 trillion dollars. This context encourages us to deepen our integration into the ASEAN Community, envisioning the potential of Timor-Leste as a gateway to other regions, benefiting from our membership in the WTO and our participation in the CPLP, with strategic partners in Africa, South America, Europe, and Asia.
We continue to build an oasis of peace in an increasingly uncertain and unpredictable world. A multiethnic and multilingual nation, with an ecumenical and global vocation, committed to contributing to peace, security, progress, and regional and international development.
Timor-Leste is today an example of resilience and international cooperation, continuing to benefit from strategic partnerships with Australia, Brazil, South Korea, China, Cuba, Japan, the USA, New Zealand, Portugal, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and all the countries of ASEAN and CPLP.
Excellencies,
As we begin another Legislative Session, I reiterate my commitment to continue working with the Government, the National Parliament, and the Administration of Justice bodies to meet the aspirations of our people.
The future of Timor-Leste depends on our collective commitment to promoting policies that ensure inclusive, sustainable development and reflect the values that define us as a nation.
At the threshold of this new legislative cycle, I would like to highlight some crucial points that should guide our joint work:
- Strengthening Democratic Institutions:
It is imperative that we continue to strengthen our institutions, ensuring they are independent, transparent, and effective. The Parliament plays a fundamental role in exercising oversight and passing laws that meet the needs of our citizens, ensuring that every decision made here respects the principles of the Rule of Law and promotes social justice.
- Sustainable Economic Development:
We need to diversify our economy, reduce dependence on natural resources, and invest in strategic sectors such as agriculture, sustainable tourism, education, and technological innovation. Economic growth must be inclusive, creating opportunities for everyone, especially for our youth, who are the true driving force of our future.
- Regional and International Integration:
Timor-Leste is at a historic moment as it prepares for full integration into ASEAN in 2025 and to strengthen its position on the international stage through the WTO and CPLP. This integration is not only economic; it is a cultural, political, and strategic integration that will expand opportunities for our people and consolidate our position as a dynamic and open country to the world.
- Social Cohesion and Strengthening the Community Network:
National unity must be constantly cultivated, valuing our ethnic, linguistic, and cultural diversity.
We must invest in policies that promote the well-being of all communities, respecting differences and fostering a sense of belonging and collective responsibility.
- Promotion of Peace and Security:
The security of Timor-Leste is not limited to its borders but also encompasses human security, which includes the fight against poverty, the promotion of public health, the defence of human rights, and the fight against climate change. We will continue to be a country committed to peace, security, and stability, actively contributing to regional and global initiatives in support of these goals.
- Ongoing Dialogue with Civil Society:
It is essential that the Parliament and the Government maintain an open and continuous dialogue with civil society, community organizations, the private sector, and all citizens. Citizen participation is the essence of democracy, and the development of public policies must reflect the voices and aspirations of our people.
Your Excellencies,
Our history is one of overcoming, courage, and determination. We will continue to walk together, steadfast in our purpose to build a prosperous, just, and supportive nation.
Our people deserve our best, and together, we can turn the dream of a more developed, inclusive, and equitable country into reality.
As he said goodbye, just before entering the airplane elevator, His Holiness Pope Francis held my hands, with eyes full of emotion:
Take care of these marvellous people.
Long live Timor-Leste! Long live our Parliament! Long live our people!
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