Timor-Leste Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão. — VNA/VNS Photo Viên Luyến

HÀ NỘI — Timor-Leste Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão’s official visit to Việt Nam and attendance at the 3rd ASEAN Future Forum (AFF) from Sunday to Wednesday is expected to further develop bilateral relations in a more substantive and effective manner, contributing positively to peace, stability, and development in the region.

Close and trustworthy political-diplomatic relations

Việt Nam and Timor-Leste share a long-standing friendship. Việt Nam was among the first countries to recognise the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (FRETILIN) in September 1975.

Following Timor-Leste's independence on May 20, 2002, the two countries established diplomatic relations on July 28, 2002. Since then, bilateral relations have continued to develop positively.

Timor-Leste opened its embassy in Hà Nội in April 2012. Meanwhile, Việt Nam decided to establish its embassy in Dili, the capital of Timor-Leste, in July last year, and the embassy officially commenced operations in April this year. Việt Nam’s official opening of its embassy in Dili is regarded as an important milestone that will make bilateral friendship and cooperation deeper, more practical and effective for the benefit of both peoples as well as ASEAN solidarity and development.

Leaders of the two countries have maintained regular high-level exchanges. Notable meetings include those between Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and Timor-Leste Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak on the sidelines of the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Indonesia in May 2023; Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão during the 43rd ASEAN Summit in Indonesia in September 2023, the 46th ASEAN Summit in Malaysia on May 27 last year, and the 47th ASEAN Summit in Malaysia on October 28 last year; National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn and Speaker of the National Parliament of Timor Leste Maria Fernanda Lay during the 46th AIPA General Assembly in Malaysia on September 17 last year; Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão during the 48th ASEAN Summit in the Philippines on May 7 this year; and General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee and State President Tô Lâm with President José Ramos-Horta during the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on May 29 this year.

The Timor-Leste leaders’ visits to Việt Nam comprised those by President José Ramos-Horta in April 2010; Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão in September 2013; Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Hernani Coelho in April 2016; Foreign Minister Dionísio Babo Soares in June 2019; Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão's message to the ASEAN Future Forum hosted by Việt Nam in April 2024; and President José Ramos-Horta’s state visit to Việt Nam in August 2024 and participation in the 2nd ASEAN Future Forum in Hà Nội in February last year.

The two countries have coordinated effectively in multilateral forums, particularly at the United Nations. Timor-Leste has supported Việt Nam’s candidacies for international bodies, including the United Nations Human Rights Council (2023–2025), the World Heritage Committee (2023–2027), and the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2022–2026). In turn, Việt Nam has consistently supported Timor-Leste’s path toward ASEAN membership, culminating in Timor-Leste officially becoming ASEAN’s 11th member in October last year.

Most recently, on the sidelines of the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm met with President José Ramos-Horta on May 29 this year. During the meeting, the top Vietnamese leader congratulated Timor-Leste on its official accession to ASEAN, describing it as a historic milestone for both Timor-Leste and ASEAN’s development process. He reaffirmed Việt Nam attaches importance to its friendship and comprehensive cooperation with Timor-Leste and expressed readiness to continue sharing development and integration experiences while closely coordinating within the ASEAN family.

President José Ramos-Horta congratulated Party General Secretary Tô Lâm on his election as State President of Việt Nam and expressed admiration for Việt Nam’s remarkable development achievements and growing regional and international standing. He affirmed that Việt Nam remains a close friend and reliable partner of Timor-Leste and expressed hope for continued sharing of experience in socio-economic development, institution building, human resource training, and international integration.

President Ramos-Horta also highly appreciated Việt Nam’s operation of its embassy in Dili since April 2026, considering it an important milestone that would inject new momentum into bilateral relations and facilitate exchanges, connectivity, and practical cooperation programmes.

Active cooperation across multiple sectors

Economic and trade cooperation between the two countries has grown steadily. Last year, bilateral trade reached US$18.7 million. Trade primarily consists of Việt Namese exports, particularly rice, along with consumer goods and processed food products.

The two countries have signed numerous cooperation agreements, including the Framework Agreement on Technical and Economic Cooperation in April 2010 and agreed to establish a Joint Committee mechanism.

Investment cooperation has also become a bright spot, particularly through the successful operations of Viettel Timor (Telemor). This investment project by Việt Nam’s Military Industry and Telecoms Group (Viettel) provides telecommunications services in Timor-Leste. Established on August 22, 2012, and officially launching services on July 10, 2013, Telemor has become the largest telecommunications operator in Timor-Leste, holding about 52 per cent of the market share. The company has significantly transformed the country's telecommunications sector and contributed to its development. Its achievements and contributions have been recognised by the Timor-Leste Government through awards honouring its role in advancing the telecommunications industry.

Beyond telecommunications, the two countries have significant potential for cooperation in agriculture, education, and oil and gas. According to Timor-Leste’s Ambassador to Việt Nam João Pereira, Timor-Leste is eager to learn from Việt Nam’s development experience, particularly in high-tech agriculture and industrial development. Timor-Leste is currently discussing the possibility of sending workers to industrial zones in Việt Nam, including those in Bắc Ninh Province. This would provide valuable opportunities for Timorese workers to gain experience in modern production environments before returning home to contribute to national development.

Việt Nam continues close cooperation with Timor-Leste within ASEAN

Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão’s official visit to Việt Nam and participation in the 3rd ASEAN Future Forum from Sunday to Wednesday, is considered a highly significant event, particularly for Timor-Leste’s integration process as a newly admitted ASEAN member and for the future development of the ASEAN Community.

The visit is expected to strengthen political trust, promote substantive and effective cooperation across all sectors, and help Timor-Leste benefit from Việt Nam’s experience and support in participating effectively in ASEAN and regional cooperation mechanisms.

According to Veeramalla Anjaiah, Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS) in Indonesia, Timor-Leste’s high-level participation in AFF 2026 demonstrates the country's appreciation for ASEAN’s role and its desire to engage more deeply in regional cooperation processes following its accession as ASEAN’s 11th member in October last year. This participation not only reaffirms Timor-Leste’s commitment to ASEAN’s common goals but also helps strengthen connections with regional partners to promote socio-economic development.

Anjaiah noted that Việt Nam has been one of the strongest supporters of Timor-Leste’s ASEAN membership and has consistently accompanied the country throughout its regional integration journey. He believed that the potential for future cooperation between the two countries remains immense, particularly in trade, investment, education, human resource development, security, and regional cooperation. Drawing on Việt Nam’s economic development and international integration experience, Timor-Leste can learn valuable lessons to narrow development gaps and enhance its competitiveness within ASEAN.

Meanwhile, Timor-Leste’s Ambassador to Việt Nam João Pereira expressed confidence that bilateral relations will continue to strengthen in the coming years through expanded people-to-people exchanges, enhanced business connectivity, and deeper economic cooperation between the two countries. — VNA/VNS