Russia and Timor-Leste have agreed to strengthen bilateral political, diplomatic and economic cooperation during talks between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Timor-Leste’s Foreign Minister in Moscow.
The meeting marked the first official visit by Timor-Leste’s foreign minister to Moscow. During the discussions, both sides reviewed bilateral relations and explored ways to translate their political goodwill into practical cooperation.
Timor-Leste highlighted Russia’s support during its struggle for independence and said the two countries were looking to expand cooperation in areas including education, technical training, trade, investment, energy, food security, science and technology.
The two countries also agreed on the importance of maintaining regular consultations between their foreign ministries. Timor-Leste said it welcomed opportunities for training and capacity-building provided by Russia and expressed interest in attracting greater Russian business and investment.
Russia and Timor-Leste Discuss ASEAN Cooperation
The discussions also focused on Timor-Leste’s role in ASEAN and its relationship with Russia.
Lavrov welcomed Timor-Leste’s participation as a full member of ASEAN and said Moscow was ready to develop cooperation with the country through ASEAN-related mechanisms.
The Russian foreign minister emphasized the importance of ASEAN’s central role in the Asia-Pacific region and criticized attempts by external powers to establish exclusive bloc-based structures. He said ASEAN’s approach was based on inclusiveness and consensus.
Both sides expressed support for expanding cooperation in education, science and technology, energy, food security, trade and people-to-people exchanges.
Timor-Leste also said technical support from Russia could help strengthen its institutional and technical capabilities as it prepares for future responsibilities within ASEAN.
Russia Raises Middle East and Ukraine Issues
The two ministers also exchanged views on international developments, including the situation in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf.
Lavrov said Russia was concerned about tensions involving Iran, the United States and Israel and expressed hope that diplomatic efforts by regional countries could help keep the situation within a political and diplomatic framework.
The Russian foreign minister also briefed his Timor-Leste counterpart on developments surrounding Ukraine. According to the transcript, Lavrov reiterated Moscow’s position that the Ukraine crisis should be resolved by addressing what Russia describes as its “root causes.”
Afghanistan and NATO Also Discussed
During the subsequent press conference, questions were raised about the failure to adopt a final document at consultations on Afghanistan held in the Moscow Format.
Lavrov said disagreements between Afghanistan and Pakistan had contributed to the situation and argued that regional countries should play the leading role in addressing regional problems.
He also responded to a question about reports that NATO was developing plans in case of a potential Russian attack.
Lavrov said Russia was monitoring NATO’s statements while maintaining its focus on what Moscow describes as the objectives of its military operation in Ukraine. He also referred to previous statements by NATO officials that the alliance does not have plans to attack Russia.
Diplomatic Relations Anniversary
Russia and Timor-Leste are also preparing to mark the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
The anniversary is expected to be marked with archival exhibitions and other events. Both sides expressed a desire to use the milestone to advance bilateral cooperation through political consultations, expanded scholarship programmes, technical cooperation, trade and investment.
The talks underscored the two countries’ interest in expanding their relationship beyond political dialogue and developing more practical cooperation across economic, educational and technical fields.
