Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty affirmed Egypt’s keenness to further strengthen relations with Timor-Leste during a meeting on Friday, July 24, 2026, with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste Bendito dos Santos Freitas on the sidelines of the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Manila, the Philippines.
Abdelatty highlighted the importance Egypt attaches to developing bilateral ties, noting that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
He said the relationship is built on a distinguished historical foundation, particularly Egypt’s participation in UN peacekeeping missions in Timor-Leste before and after independence, which provides a solid basis for advancing cooperation in the coming period.
The Egyptian foreign minister congratulated Timor-Leste on joining ASEAN, expressing hope that its membership would enhance its integration into the regional cooperation framework and open broader prospects for development, capacity building, and economic and technical cooperation.
Abdelatty stressed Egypt’s growing interest in strengthening ties with ASEAN countries as part of its foreign policy approach to expanding partnerships with influential regional blocs and benefiting from opportunities in Southeast Asia to serve common interests and support development and stability.
The minister reviewed prospects for expanding bilateral cooperation, particularly in training and capacity building, including agricultural cooperation through grants offered by the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), support for capacity building in the petroleum sector, joint training programs for military and police personnel participating in UN peacekeeping missions, cooperation in disaster response, and the revival of diplomatic training programs for Timorese officials through the Egyptian Diplomatic Institute.
In the cultural and educational fields, Abdelatty praised existing cooperation between the two countries, highlighting scholarships provided by Al-Azhar Al-Sharif to Timorese students, which contribute to preparing qualified cadres to support development efforts in Timor-Leste.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the two ministers stressed the importance of maintaining coordination and consultations in international forums and strengthening cooperation on issues of mutual interest, including support for each other’s candidacies in international organizations, reflecting the friendly relations and shared interests between Egypt and Timor-Leste.
