President Lee welcomes Horta’s first official visit to Korea, hopes to expand cooperation with Timor-Leste

[Financial News] On the 5th, President Lee Jae-myung welcomed the first official visit to Korea by Timor-Leste President José Ramos-Horta, saying, “I hope this official visit will serve as an opportunity to expand practical cooperation in various fields, including diplomacy and security, the economy, and sociocultural affairs, and that we will work even more closely together for peace and prosperity in the region, given that Timor-Leste joined ASEAN last year.”
President Lee wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that “the Republic of Korea and Timor-Leste have built a longstanding friendship based on shared values of peace and democracy.”
He continued, “The ties between our two countries began with the peacekeeping activities of our Sangnoksu Unit, which contributed to peace and reconstruction in Timor-Leste,” adding, “That cooperation later extended to economic and social development, and today our countries have developed into reliable partners who support each other on the international stage.”
President Lee said, “It is all the more meaningful to welcome President Horta to the Republic of Korea on this occasion, given that he received the Nobel Peace Prize for his lifelong dedication to peace and democracy,” adding, “I hope this meeting, taking place ahead of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations next year, will be a valuable opportunity to build on the special friendship between our two countries and foster greater cooperation in the future.”
He added, “I sincerely welcome President José Ramos-Horta on his first official visit to Korea, together with the people of our country. Bem-vindu!”
President Lee and Timor-Leste President Horta are scheduled to hold a Korea–Timor-Leste summit at Cheong Wa Dae on the 6th and discuss cooperation between the two countries in various areas, including the economy and culture.

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