Cambodia Reaffirms Support for Timor-Leste

Phnom Penh, August 28, 2023 --

Cambodia has reiterated its support to the membership of Timor-Leste in ASEAN and the World Trade Organisation as well as in regional and global architecture.

The stance was highlighted by H.E. Kitti Tesaphibal Pundit Hun Manet, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, while receiving a courtesy call from visiting H.E. Francisco Kalbuadi Lay, Deputy Prime Ministers, Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs and Minister of Tourism and Environment of Timor-Leste, at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh this afternoon.

H.E. Kitti Tesaphibal Pundit Hun Manet also spoke highly of the historical diplomatic relations between the two countries which began in 2002 and attained fruitful results especially during Cambodia’s chairmanship of ASEAN in 2022.

Through H.E. Francisco Kalbuadi Lay, H.E. Kitti Tesaphibal Pundit Hun Manet thanked his Timorese counterpart for his congratulatory message on the occasion of his appointment as the Prime Minister of Cambodia and hoped to meet him personally at the upcoming ASEAN Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia.

From his end, H.E. Francisco Kalbuadi Lay expressed his gratitude to Cambodia for its assistance and support so that ASEAN agreed in principle to admit Timor-Leste to be the 11th member of ASEAN and granted the island state an observer status.

On behalf of the people and Government of Timor-Leste, H.E. Francisco Kalbuadi Lay invited H.E. Kitti Tesaphibal Pundit Hun Manet to pay a visit to Timor-Leste at his appropriate time.

H.E. Francisco Kalbuadi Lay has been on a visit in Cambodia from Aug. 28 to 29, 2023.