Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta expressed hope over greater cooperation between Bangladesh and his country in the coming days to expand economic and trade relations on Sunday, reports UNB.
He said in a joint press conference at the Chief Adviser's Office after the bilateral meeting with Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus,"We can import more from Bangladesh."
The Timor-Leste President also invited Bangladeshi companies to his country and explore opportunities there.
Ramos-Horta was elected president in May 2022. He had previously been president from 2007-2012 - during which he was shot during an attempted assassination.
He was co-awarded the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize, along with Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo, for working for peace in East Timor.
Praising Prof Yunus' leadership, the President stated this country has a tremendous future. "Thank you for hosting me. I am very, very honoured," he said.
Earlier, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and Timor-Leste President held "fruitful discussions" and shared their ideas to take the relations between the two countries to a new height.
They witnessed the signing of two instruments -- MoU on bilateral consultations mechanism and agreement on visa exemption for diplomatic and official passport holders -- to further strengthen the relations.
The two leaders had a tete-a-tete which was followed by a delegation-level meeting.
In the Sunday afternoon, Ramos-Horta is scheduled to meet honorary consul of Timor-Leste in Bangladesh, Kutubuddin Ahmed, and Bangladesh Football Federation President and BNP leader, Tabith Awal.
On December 16, Ramos-Horta will call on the President of Bangladesh at Bangabhaban.
He will also visit the National Martyrs’ Memorial in Savar to pay homage to the heroes of Bangladesh’s Liberation War.
The President will attend the 54th Victory Day celebrations, marking Bangladesh’s historic victory in 1971.
On his final day, December 17, the Timor-Leste President will deliver a lecture at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) auditorium on “The Challenges of Peace in the Contemporary World”.
He is expected to interact with Bangladeshi students and young leaders, sharing his experiences of leading his country’s independence movement, the role of the people, and the post-independence aspirations of Timor-Leste.
President Ramos-Horta will leave Dhaka later in the day, concluding his visit aimed at fostering diplomatic and cultural relations between Bangladesh and Timor-Leste.
Bd-pratidin English/ Afia
