About Us
2024/1/31
Message from Ambassador KIMURA Tetsuya
Ambassador KIMURA Tetsuya
One year has passed since I assumed the post of Ambassador of Japan to the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste in December 2022. Since the restoration of independence, Timor-Leste has been tackling new challenges of nation-building as it progresses from the stage of peacebuilding to economic development. The political and security environment seems to have stabilized, as can be seen in the peaceful changes of the governments through free, fair and transparent elections. On the other hand, the country faces many development challenges, including in rural areas, and there are also needs in social services such as health, education as well as water and sanitation.
Looking back over the last year, the new government led by Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão took office in July, following the parliamentary election in May. Immediately after the inauguration of the new government, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Shunsuke TAKEI visited Timor-Leste. In December, Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão attended the Commemorative Summit for the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation held in Tokyo as an observer and held a bilateral summit meeting with Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio KISHIDA. As outcome of the bilateral summit meeting, the Joint Press Statement, “Comprehensive Partnership towards Sustainable Growth and Development" (https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/files/100596159.pdf) was issued. In this statement, both leaders shared the will to enhance the bilateral relationship and strengthen the cooperation between the two countries. I find it important to steadily implement the broad range of measures that are expressed in the Statement in order to further develop relations with the new Government.
At the ASEAN-Japan Special Summit, Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão announced that Timor-Leste aims to become a full member of ASEAN in 2025. Japan has been supporting Timor-Leste's accession to ASEAN since 2009. In November 2022, Timor-Leste was admitted in-principle as a member of ASEAN with observer status and is required to gradually fulfil a wide range of criteria set out in the roadmap towards full membership. Japan will broaden its cooperation in a wide range of fields starting from infrastructure development to human resource development as well as institutional building in order to assist Timor-Leste's formal accession to ASEAN at an earliest possible timing. In addition, the new Government's policy program announced last year aims to move away from dependence on natural resource revenues and public spending towards a sustainable economy with increased private sector activities. Japan will also cooperate in the diversification of Timor-Leste's basic industries, such as agriculture, fisheries, tourism, energy, as well as manufacturing, while making efforts to support Japanese companies interested in investment in the country. Rural development remains another key challenge for the country. In cooperation with international organizations, local and international NGOs as well as Japanese NGOs that have been working with local communities for many years, we are committed to development cooperation, including in rural areas, in such fields as education, health, water and sanitation, and agriculture from the perspective of human security, valuing grassroots perspectives.
To further deepen relations between the two countries, it is necessary to strengthen the people-to-people connections that form the foundation of the relationship. Last year, when the threat of COVID-19 declined, numerous cultural exchanges were conducted, such as the visit of a Japanese drumming group from Bali, reciprocal visits by athletes and other sports related persons and exchanges between young people through the JENESYS and other programs including high school and university student exchanges. Seven of Timor-Leste's first technical intern trainees were welcomed to Kochi prefecture and began training in the agricultural sector. ‘Partnership to Co-Create a Future with the Next Generation: WA 2.0 initiative’, announced at the recent ASEAN-Japan Special Summit, focuses on exchanges of next-generation leaders and Japanese language education, and Timor-Leste will benefit from this initiative. We will make the most of these opportunities and encourage the expansion of interactions.
Japan and Timor-Leste share fundamental values such as human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Furthermore, it is important to deepen our cooperation on regional and international issues in the context of the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) based on the joint press statement as Timor-Leste’s full membership in ASEAN moves towards realization. In light of these developments, it is important to deepen the understanding of Timor-Leste in Japan. Information on the Embassy's daily activities can be found on its Facebook. We would like to work together with the Government and the people of Timor-Leste to further enhance our mutual understanding and friendship.
Looking back over the last year, the new government led by Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão took office in July, following the parliamentary election in May. Immediately after the inauguration of the new government, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Shunsuke TAKEI visited Timor-Leste. In December, Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão attended the Commemorative Summit for the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation held in Tokyo as an observer and held a bilateral summit meeting with Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio KISHIDA. As outcome of the bilateral summit meeting, the Joint Press Statement, “Comprehensive Partnership towards Sustainable Growth and Development" (https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/files/100596159.pdf) was issued. In this statement, both leaders shared the will to enhance the bilateral relationship and strengthen the cooperation between the two countries. I find it important to steadily implement the broad range of measures that are expressed in the Statement in order to further develop relations with the new Government.
At the ASEAN-Japan Special Summit, Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão announced that Timor-Leste aims to become a full member of ASEAN in 2025. Japan has been supporting Timor-Leste's accession to ASEAN since 2009. In November 2022, Timor-Leste was admitted in-principle as a member of ASEAN with observer status and is required to gradually fulfil a wide range of criteria set out in the roadmap towards full membership. Japan will broaden its cooperation in a wide range of fields starting from infrastructure development to human resource development as well as institutional building in order to assist Timor-Leste's formal accession to ASEAN at an earliest possible timing. In addition, the new Government's policy program announced last year aims to move away from dependence on natural resource revenues and public spending towards a sustainable economy with increased private sector activities. Japan will also cooperate in the diversification of Timor-Leste's basic industries, such as agriculture, fisheries, tourism, energy, as well as manufacturing, while making efforts to support Japanese companies interested in investment in the country. Rural development remains another key challenge for the country. In cooperation with international organizations, local and international NGOs as well as Japanese NGOs that have been working with local communities for many years, we are committed to development cooperation, including in rural areas, in such fields as education, health, water and sanitation, and agriculture from the perspective of human security, valuing grassroots perspectives.
To further deepen relations between the two countries, it is necessary to strengthen the people-to-people connections that form the foundation of the relationship. Last year, when the threat of COVID-19 declined, numerous cultural exchanges were conducted, such as the visit of a Japanese drumming group from Bali, reciprocal visits by athletes and other sports related persons and exchanges between young people through the JENESYS and other programs including high school and university student exchanges. Seven of Timor-Leste's first technical intern trainees were welcomed to Kochi prefecture and began training in the agricultural sector. ‘Partnership to Co-Create a Future with the Next Generation: WA 2.0 initiative’, announced at the recent ASEAN-Japan Special Summit, focuses on exchanges of next-generation leaders and Japanese language education, and Timor-Leste will benefit from this initiative. We will make the most of these opportunities and encourage the expansion of interactions.
Japan and Timor-Leste share fundamental values such as human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Furthermore, it is important to deepen our cooperation on regional and international issues in the context of the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) based on the joint press statement as Timor-Leste’s full membership in ASEAN moves towards realization. In light of these developments, it is important to deepen the understanding of Timor-Leste in Japan. Information on the Embassy's daily activities can be found on its Facebook. We would like to work together with the Government and the people of Timor-Leste to further enhance our mutual understanding and friendship.
January, 2024
Ambassador of Japan to Timor-Leste
Tetsuya Kimura
Ambassador of Japan to Timor-Leste
Tetsuya Kimura
Contact Information
| Address | Avenida de Portugal, Pantai Kelapa, Dili, Timor-Leste (P.O. Box 175) |
| Phone |
+670-3323131, +670-3323132 |
| Fax | +670-3323130 |
|
japan.embassy.in.timor-leste (at) di.mofa.go.jp |
|
| Office hours |
Monday to Friday (Closed on Saturday, Sunday and holidays) 08:45 - 12:30, 13:30 - 17:30 |
| Office hours for Consular Section |
Monday to Friday （Closed on Saturday, Sunday and holidays） 09:00 - 12:30, 13:30 - 17:00 |
Embassy Holidays
| Year 2024 | ||
December |
25 (Wednesday) | Christmas Day |
| 29 (Sunday) | End of Year Holiday | |
| 30 (Monday) | End of Year Holiday | |
| 31 (Tuesday) | End of Year Holiday | |
| Year 2025 | ||
| January | 1 (Wednesday) | New Year's Day ★ |
| 2 (Thursday) | New Year Holiday ☆ | |
| 3 (Friday) | New Year Holiday ☆ | |
| March | 3 (Monday) | Veteran's Day ★ |
| 5 (Wednesday) | Ash Wednesday ★ | |
| April | 17 (Thursday) | Holy Thursday ★ |
| 18 (Friday) | Holy Friday ★ | |
| May | 1 (Thursday) | Labor Day ★ |
| 20 (Tuesday) | Restoration of Independence Day ★ | |
| June | 6 (Friday) | Idul Adha ★ |
| 19 (Thursday) | Corpos Christi ★ | |
| October | 13 (Monday) | Sports Day ☆ |
| November | 13 (Monday) | National Women's Day ★ |
| 12 (Wednesday) | National Youth Day ★ | |
| 28 (Friday) | Proclamation of Independence Day ★ | |
| December | 8 (Monday) | Day of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception and Timor-Leste Patroness ★ |
| 25 (Thursday) | Christmas Day ★ | |
| 29 (Monday) | End-of-year Holiday ☆ | |
| 30 (Tuesday) | End-of-year Holiday ☆ | |
| 31 (Wednesday) | National Heroes' Day ★ | |
★ Public Holiday for Timor-Leste
☆ Public Holiday for Japan