Timor-Leste President José Ramos-Horta arrived in the country on Wednesday for his official visit aimed at further strengthening the bilateral relations with the Philippines.

President Ramos-Horta was warmly welcomed by Philippine Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste Belinda Ante and Manila International Airport Authority Assistant General Manager Manuel Gonzales upon his arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) at around 2 p.m.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. earlier expressed the Philippines’ continued support for Timor-Leste during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 42nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Indonesia last May.

“In the Philippines, you have a partner. We have always been supportive,” President Marcos told Timor-Leste Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak.

During the state visit, President Marcos is set to discuss with Ramos-Horta various areas of cooperation between the two nations such as technical, political, educational, and economic partnerships.

President Ramos-Horta will meet President Marcos on Friday, November 10, in a bilateral meeting at the Malacanan Palace.

Philippine agencies that will be present during the visit include the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Timor-Leste joined the 42nd ASEAN Summit as an observer where President Marcos expressed elation over its journey towards becoming a democratic state and eventually becoming an ASEAN member state.

Last May, the ASEAN adopted a roadmap for Timor-Leste’s full membership, following conditional approval for it to become ASEAN’s 11th member.

According to Ramos-Horta, Timor-Leste will “ideally” become a full-fledged ASEAN member in 2025 even though the country remains open to other time frames recommended by other Southeast Asian leaders. PND