Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta departs Malaysia after five-day visit focused on bilateral ties and ASEAN cooperation
SEPANG: Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta departed for Dili early today after concluding a five-day special visit to Malaysia aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and regional cooperation.
Ramos-Horta and his delegation proceeded to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1 to board a Batik Air flight scheduled to depart at 2.15 am.
Earlier, upon arriving at the Bunga Raya Complex, KLIA, at 1.33 am, the President was accorded a static Guard of Honour mounted by two officers and 26 personnel from the First Battalion Royal Ranger Regiment, commanded by Captain J. Lingesri Rao.
During the visit, Ramos-Horta attended a dialogue session titled “A Changing World, Enduring Values” on June 15, where he described relations between Timor-Leste and Malaysia as “exceptionally good” and commended Malaysia’s achievements in security, democracy and economic development.
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate also expressed appreciation for Malaysia’s longstanding support for Timor-Leste since before its independence in 2002, including through peacekeeping efforts in 1999.
Ramos-Horta also thanked Malaysia for backing Timor-Leste’s bid for full ASEAN membership during Malaysia’s chairmanship, noting the country officially became ASEAN’s 11th member on Oct 26, 2025.
He expressed confidence that Timor-Leste would be ready to host ASEAN in 2029, with infrastructure and facilities being expedited to meet the target.
In an effort to deepen economic cooperation, the President invited Malaysian investors to explore opportunities in Timor-Leste’s infrastructure sector, citing the country’s low debt level and strong sovereign wealth fund, as well as support from multilateral financing institutions.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim also hosted a luncheon in honour of Ramos-Horta at the Seri Perdana Complex yesterday, during which both leaders exchanged views on expanding cooperation in trade, investment, human capital development, education and technical training.
Bilateral trade between Malaysia and Timor-Leste stood at USD18.72 million (RM85.68 million) in 2024, with Malaysia’s exports amounting to USD18.37 million (RM84.06 million), while imports from Timor-Leste totalled USD0.35 million (RM1.62 million).
