Seoul: The South Korean and Timor-Leste foreign ministers have agreed to expand cooperation in areas such as climate change, infrastructure, and education. This agreement was announced by South Korea's foreign ministry, as reported by Yonhap News Agency.According to Nam News Network, the agreement was reached during a meeting in Seoul between South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Timor-Leste's Foreign Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas. This meeting marked the first official visit to South Korea by a Timor-Leste foreign minister since the countries established diplomatic relations in 2002, although Freitas had visited previously in 2010 and 2011 in his capacity as head of Timor-Leste's vocational training and employment agency.The ministers discussed enhancing cooperation in education and human resource development, which are crucial for Timor-Leste's national development. They also explored collaboration in climate change initiatives, including greenhouse gas reduction and carbon capture and storag e, as well as in maritime affairs, infrastructure, and law enforcement against transnational crime.Cho Hyun reiterated South Korea's support for Timor-Leste's integration into the ASEAN and pledged ongoing assistance for the nation's active participation in the regional bloc. Freitas, in turn, expressed his backing for South Korea's comprehensive strategic partnership with ASEAN and its various cooperative initiatives.Timor-Leste became the 11th member of ASEAN in October 2025. During the meeting, Cho highlighted the longstanding relationship between the two nations, recalling South Korea's deployment of the Sangnoksu peacekeeping unit to Timor-Leste during its independence process from 1999 to 2003.The ministry release stated that Cho shared Seoul's vision for peaceful coexistence with North Korea, which Freitas supported. Both ministers agreed to continue collaborating for regional and global peace and stability.
- July 2, 2026
