The Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, Mr. Jorge Camões presented His Letter of Credence to the President of the Republic of Poland, H.E. President Andrzej Duda
On March 7, 2024, Ambassador Jorge Cam6es presented his letter of credence to H.E. Mr. Andrzej Duda, President of the Republic of Poland at the Belvedere Palace which accredited him as Ambassador to the Republic of Poland with the residence in Brussels, Belgium.
Right after the event, Ambassador Camões had a bilateral talk with President Duda. The President commenced by congratulating the Ambassador and highlighting the close diplomatic relations between the two countries. He commended Timor-Leste’s progress since the restoration of independence, particularly its commitment to democratic values and principles, which have garnered wide respect in Europe, including Poland.
While acknowledging the existence of positive relations over two decades (since 2002), the President noted the absence of economic cooperation. Therefore, expressed his hope that Ambassador Camões accreditation can constitute a turning point not only in the field of economic cooperation but also in other areas of mutual interest.
In turn, Ambassador Camões manifested his gratitude for the acceptance of his credentials. and admiration for Poland’s development since transitioning out of Soviet influence (1989). The Ambassador viewed Poland’s progress as an encouragement for other developing countries, including Timor-Leste, in their transformation efforts across all sectors.
The ambassador acknowledged the challenges encountered at the beginning of Timor-Leste’s independence, post-1999 referendum, and emphasised the importance of the international support and solidarity extended through the UN as well as the EU at that crucial time. Then, addressing contemporary concerns, he emphasised the need for maintaining positive relations with other countries while also emphasising the importance of adapting partnerships to Timor- Leste’s particular circumstances.
Echoing the President’s desire for a deeper cooperation, Ambassador Camões highlighted the country’s natural resources, such as oil and gas and agricultural products, particularly organic coffee. He also underlined the requirement of building new infrastructure (hotels, convention centres, and connectivity improvement) designed to host high-level meetings, such as ASEAN and other international events. Through President Duda, Ambassador Camões invited Polish business community to partake in Timor-Leste’s development initiatives.
Based on this exchange of views, President Duda afterwards expressed the country’s interest and further affirmed Poland’s expertise in infrastructure projects that have gone beyond the border, which could contribute to Timor-Leste’s development needs. Concerning the oil and gas sector, the President highlighted the desire to explore possible cooperation with Timor-Leste. The President said Poland has experience and is currently one of the leading Polish companies, successfully carrying out oil and gas exploration in Norway and bringing it to Poland, due to its cooperation with Russia, which was forced to cease after the outbreak of the Russo-Ukrainian war in early 2022.
By the end of the conversation, President Duda stated Poland’s strong intention to establish economic cooperation with Timor-Leste and, relatedly, expressed his government’s willingness to explore other areas to further improve bilateral cooperation.
