TIMOR-LESTE PM DEPARTS HOME AFTER THREE-DAY OFFICIAL VISIT TO MALAYSIA

SEPANG, Dec 3 (Bernama) -- Timor-Leste Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão departed for home today after a three-day official visit to Malaysia.

Xanana Gusmão was given a red carpet ceremonial send-off with a guard-of-honour mounted by the First Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment at the Bunga Raya Complex of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) here.

After that, Xanana Gusmão and the Timorese delegation were taken by private transfers to KLIA Terminal 1 to board a Malaysia Airlines flight bound for Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, Indonesia, which was scheduled to depart at 9 am.

Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Adam Adli Abd Halim was present to bid them bon voyage.

It was Xanana Gusmão’s maiden visit to Malaysia since assuming office in July last year.

Yesterday, he had a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim where the two leaders discussed regional and international issues of mutual interest.

 Following the meeting,  Malaysia and Timor-Leste agreed to forge greater partnerships through enhanced cooperation in education, capacity building and defence to strengthen bilateral ties and promote regional stability.

During the visit, Xanana Gusmão also had an audience with His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, at Istana Negara.

He also delivered an address during a public lecture at the Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations (IDFR), underscoring the pressing need for effective diplomacy to navigate a world increasingly gripped by conflict and fragility.

In 2023, the total bilateral trade between Malaysia and Timor-Leste was US$43.7 million (RM196.7 million).

Malaysia’s exports to Timor-Leste were recorded at US$43.3 million (RM195 million), while imports from Timor-Leste amounted to US$0.4 million (RM1.7 million).

-- BERNAMA