Timor Leste President to pay State visit to Vietnam this week

Vietnam was one of countries recognizing the Revolutionary Front for an Independent Timor Leste (Fretilin) that fought for the independence of the state in September 1975.

Since Timor Letste declared its independence in May 2002, relations between the two states have made significant progress.

The two sides signed a joint communiqué establishing diplomatic relations at the Ambassador level in July 2002. They have since conducted many high-level visits. Timor-Leste officially opened its Embassy in Hanoi in April 2012.

Two-way trade turnover between Vietnam and Timor Leste last year reached US$15.861 million, including US$15.49 million worth of Vietnamese exports. The first five months of 2024 saw Vietnam rake in US$6.09 million from its exports to Timor Leste, an increase of 29.4% year on year.

Vietnam’s military-run telecom giant Viettel is successfully running its Telemor project in Timor Leste. From an initial investment capital of US$500,000 in 2012, Telemor now has a total investment capital of US$15 million. It is one of the three major telecommunications companies in Timor-Leste, gaining a strong foothold in this market.