A bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President José Ramos-Horta of Timor-Leste took place in Gandhinagar on Tuesday. This meeting took place one day before the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit (VGSS) began in the state of Gujarat. The first head of state to arrive in Ahmedabad for the summit was Horta, who participated in the event.
In the areas of capacity building, human resource development, information technology, financial technology, energy, and healthcare, including traditional medicine and pharmaceuticals, Prime Minister Modi provided support to Timor-Leste. Additionally, according to a statement released by the government, he extended an invitation to Timor-Leste to become a member of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).
Specifically, the statement stated that Horta had indicated “strong support for India’s permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council.”
During the time that Modi was congratulating Horta on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) in-principle decision to admit Timor-Leste as its eleventh member and expressing hope that it will soon achieve full membership, Horta was also looking for support from India in order to meet its development priorities, particularly in the areas of healthcare and capacity building in information technology.
Additionally, the two leaders talked about the advancements and concerns that are occurring in the Indo-Pacific area.
Following Timor-Leste’s attainment of its independence in 2002, India was among the first nations to initiate diplomatic relations with the independent nation.
Additionally, he stated that the location of the meeting was “even more special when taking into consideration Gandhiji’s influence on President Horta’s life and work.”
Modi, the Prime Minister of India, made the announcement on X, which was formerly known as Twitter, saying he “had an excellent meeting” with Ramos-Horta at the Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar.
Had an excellent meeting with President @JoseRamosHorta1 of Timor-Leste. The fact that our meeting is taking place in Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar, makes this meeting even more special considering Gandhi Ji’s influence on President Horta’s life and work. We discussed ways to… pic.twitter.com/RYmCKKKyhm
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 9, 2024
When Ramos-Horta arrived at the airport, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel was there to greet him. Patel stated that he offered “Gujarat’s expertise and support to Timor-Leste in port-led development as well as other sectors, providing valuable insights and support to assist the country in its journey towards growth and development.” This statement was made in a post that was published on X.
In the meantime, President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi of Mozambique arrived in Ahmedabad on Tuesday as well. Some of the other heads of state who are scheduled to attend the summit include Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the United Arab Emirates and the Ruler of Abu Dhabi. On Tuesday, he will accompany Prime Minister Modi on a roadshow that will cover a distance of three kilometres, beginning at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport and ending at Indira bridge in Ahmedabad city.
The relationship between Timor-Leste and India
A recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, President Ramos-Horta is Timor-Leste’s second president. Timor-Leste did not achieve its independence from Indonesian rule until the year 2002. In April of 2022, Ramos-Horta was re-elected to the position of President for a second term. Timor-Leste and India had officially established diplomatic relations for the first time in 2003 with the signing of a memorandum of understanding. In September 2023, the Ministry of External Affairs said that Prime Minister Modi had declared a decision to establish an Indian Embassy in Dili, which is located in Timor-Leste. Before becoming a full member of ASEAN, Timor-Leste became a member of the organisation in 2022 as an observer. The VGGS 2024 will be the first time that Timor-Leste will be a partner country.
