Díli, Sept. 18, 2025 (Lusa) - The MEPs who concluded a visit to Dili on Thursday called for closer cooperation between the European Union and Timor-Leste, considering that this country will become increasingly important in Southeast Asia.
"The conclusion here is that cooperation between the European Union and Timor-Leste should be strengthened," said Socialist MEP Francisco Assis, who led the mission to the country, which began on Monday.
The delegation, composed of nine MEPs from the Joint Parliamentary Assembly of the Partnership between the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States and the European Union (OACPS-EU), aimed to consolidate the European Union's partnership after the committee decided to reduce its representation in the country.
"Timor-Leste is a country of increasing importance in the context of Southeast Asia. Its forthcoming integration into ASEAN will reinforce its strategic role. The European Union has long had a good relationship with the State of Timor-Leste, and this visit precisely reinforces that link," Francisco Assis pointed out.
The MEP stressed that the European Union will continue to provide funding for various projects in the country, as well as the fact that Timor-Leste is a "living democracy in a world where, in recent times, autocracies have been on the rise and democracies have been on the decline".
"It is always comforting for us to see that in this part of the world there is a country that remains faithful to democratic values," he added.
Social Democrat MEP Sérgio Humberto said that reducing the European Union's presence in Timor-Leste "is not the right thing to do".
"It is a mistake to reduce the European Union's presence in Timor-Leste, when the only European Union country that has an embassy there is Portugal and the only representation of the other countries is through the European Union embassy," he said.
Sérgio Humberto also argued that the position should be reconsidered, stating that "this area of the globe is of fundamental strategic importance" and therefore neither resources nor means should be withdrawn from Timor-Leste.
"Timor-Leste is a small country, but it is very well located from a geopolitical point of view and I believe that the European Union should strengthen its presence in Timor-Leste," not least for reasons of medium and long-term strategy, he said, pointing out that China has a strong presence in the country, as do Australia, the United States, South Korea and Japan.
The Social Democrat MEP also pointed out that "Timor-Leste is a diamond yet to be cut" and "needs help", recalling that 26 years ago the country was reduced to "practically nothing".
"It is a very recent democracy, but you can see that it has an enormous desire to assert its growth and sustainability," he said.
Sérgio Humberto also recalled that the country will be part of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which is a "gateway for Portugal and the European Union to enter an organisation with several million people".
"I believe that Timor-Leste will become much more important in the very near future. We Portuguese, we Europeans, must stand alongside the Timorese, because it can be a win-win relationship for both territories," he added.
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