Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on 9 October 2026 held a bilateral meeting at Government House with Mr. Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste on the occasion of his official visit to Thailand on 9-10 October.

This was the first official visit to Thailand by a Prime Minister of Timor-Leste in thirteen years, and the first since Timor-Leste became a member of ASEAN last year. The two leaders discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations in all dimensions, as well as regional developments.

After the bilateral meeting, the two sides issued a Joint Statement, which will serve as a roadmap for their partnership in the years ahead, as follows:

1. At the invitation of His Excellency Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand, His Excellency Mr. Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, paid an official visit to Thailand from 9 to 10 October 2026. During the visit, the two Prime Ministers held bilateral discussions in a warm, cordial and constructive atmosphere, reaffirming the longstanding friendship and cooperation between Thailand and Timor-Leste.

Overall Bilateral Relations

2. Both Leaders expressed satisfaction with the friendly bilateral relations and the close development partnership between Thailand and Timor-Leste. They reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening cooperation in all areas of mutual interest, both bilaterally and within ASEAN, for the shared prosperity and advancement of both countries.  

3. Both Leaders emphasized the importance of enhancing regular exchanges of visits at all levels, and welcomed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste on the Establishment of a Mechanism for Bilateral Consultations. They looked forward to the early convening of the inaugural Bilateral Consultations in Timor-Leste, at a mutually convenient time, as an important mechanism to review bilateral cooperation, follow up on the outcomes of the visit, and identify new areas of mutually beneficial cooperation.

4. Both Leaders recalled that Thailand was among the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with Timor-Leste, on 20 May 2002. They further recalled Thailand’s longstanding contribution to peacekeeping and peacebuilding in Timor-Leste, particularly through the service of Thai officers as Deputy Commander of the International Force East Timor (INTERFET) from September 1999 to February 2000, and Force Commanders of the military component of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) from July 2000 to August 2002. They looked forward to commemorating the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2027 through mutually agreed activities.

Defence and Security Cooperation

5. Both Leaders welcomed the close bilateral defence relations, including military exchanges, training, capacity-building and information sharing and looked forward to the forthcoming visit of the Chief of Defence Forces of Thailand to Timor-Leste as an opportunity to further deepen defence cooperation.

6. Both Leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation in addressing emerging security challenges, particularly online scams and other forms of transnational crime. They encouraged closer cooperation among relevant law-enforcement authorities, including through information exchange, capacity-building and relevant ASEAN mechanisms.

7. Thailand conveyed its acceptance of the invitation to join the Core Group of Strategic Partners for the INTERFET Memorial project and expressed its readiness to contribute relevant archival materials, photographs and personal accounts of Thai personnel who served in Timor-Leste, thereby supporting the preservation and commemoration of this shared history.
Economic Cooperation

8. Both Leaders encouraged greater trade and investment flows between the two countries and closer engagement between their respective private sectors. They identified agriculture and food processing, energy, infrastructure, tourism and hospitality, and the blue economy as areas with potential for expanded cooperation and investment. They encouraged relevant agencies and business communities to explore opportunities for business matching, trade promotion and investment facilitation.

9. The Prime Minister of Thailand reaffirmed Thailand's readiness to support Timor-Leste's food security. Both Leaders agreed to promote mutually beneficial cooperation in agriculture and food security, including agricultural trade, food processing, technical cooperation and capacity-building. They also agreed to initiate negotiations towards the conclusion of a Memorandum of Understanding on Rice Trade, reflecting a mutual ambition to enhance food security for Timor-Leste.

10. Both Prime Ministers emphasized the importance of enhanced air connectivity between Thailand and Timor-Leste in advancing economic relations, tourism and fostering people-to-people ties. They encouraged the conclusion and implementation of the Air Services Agreement between Thailand and Timor- Leste at the earliest opportunity, and looked forward to the commencement of direct air connectivity between the two countries at the earliest opportunity. 

Development Cooperation

11. The Prime Minister of Thailand reaffirmed Thailand’s role as a trusted development partner of Timor-Leste, while the Prime Minister of Timor-Leste expressed his appreciation for Thailand’s valuable contribution, through the Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA), to Timor-Leste’s socio-economic development and capacity-building efforts.  

12. Both Leaders agreed to strengthen development cooperation in accordance with Timor-Leste’s priorities, particularly in the areas of sustainable agriculture, community development, public health and maternal care, human resources development and ASEAN-related capacity-building. They agreed to convene the 4th Technical Cooperation Meeting in Timor-Leste within this year to finalize and adopt the Three-Year Development Cooperation Programme (2026 - 2028).  

13. The Prime Minister of Timor-Leste expressed his profound gratitude to Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn for initiating the Project on Children and Youth Development under Her Royal Highness’s patronage in six schools in Timor-Leste. The project aims to strengthen the capacity of the schools to address hunger and improve children’s nutrition and health. He also expressed his appreciation for Her Royal Highness’s support in enabling Timor-Leste to participate in the biennial Princess Maha Chakri Award (PMCA), which recognizes outstanding teachers and has, to date, benefited six exemplary teachers from rural areas of Timor-Leste. 

14. The Prime Minister of Timor-Leste expressed his appreciation for Thailand’s provision of more than 800 scholarships and training opportunities to Timor-Leste officials and students since 2001 These opportunities, valued at approximately USD 4 million, have been provided under various cooperation frameworks, including bilateral cooperation and the Thailand International Postgraduate Programme (TIPP).  

15. Both Leaders welcomed the progress of the two maternal and child health centers (BEmONC Centers), a project jointly implemented by the Neighbouring Countries Economic Development Cooperation Agency (NEDA) of Thailand, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Health of Timor-Leste, and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), with the aim of reducing maternal and infant mortality rates in Timor-Leste. Thailand expressed its readiness to explore, through NEDA, further cooperation in support of Timor-Leste’s development priorities.  

16. Both Leaders also welcomed the joint efforts between the two governments and international organizations on programmes in Timor-Leste that support public health and sustainable livelihoods, including nephrology services, the Tais and Women Weavers’ Network, and coffee sector development. 

17. Both Leaders agreed to expedite the conclusion of the two Memoranda on education cooperation and higher education cooperation. They also underscored the importance of enhancing capacity building in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to align with the labour market demands of both countries. 

Regional Cooperation

18. The Prime Minister of Thailand once again congratulated Timor-Leste on becoming the eleventh member of ASEAN and reaffirmed Thailand’s support for Timor-Leste’s continued integration into ASEAN Community and its capacity-building needs, including Timor-Leste’s preparations towards its prospective ASEAN Chairship in 2029. 

19. Both Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to promoting an open, rules-based, inclusive and ASEAN-centered regional architecture, and pledged to enhance coordination in advancing the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 towards a resilient, innovative, dynamic, and people-cantered ASEAN. They emphasized the importance of stable and constructive relations among major powers in contributing to peace and prosperity in the region. 

20. Both Prime Ministers expressed satisfaction with the fruitful and constructive discussions and reaffirmed their commitment to translating the outcomes of the visit into concrete and mutually beneficial cooperation, further strengthening the longstanding friendship between Thailand and Timor-Leste and enhancing coordination within ASEAN.

21. The Prime Minister of Timor-Leste expressed his sincere appreciation to the Prime Minister and the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand for the warm hospitality and courtesies extended to him and his delegation throughout the visit.