politics
East Timor’s foreign minister to hold first official talks in Seoul since 2002 diplomatic ties
East Timor's top diplomat will meet South Korea's foreign minister Monday to discuss economic, security and development cooperation. The trip marks the first official visit by an East Timorese foreign minister since diplomatic relations began in 2002.
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East Timor's foreign minister plans to visit Seoul next week for talks with his South Korean counterpart on expanding bilateral cooperation in the economy, security and other sectors. The visit by Bendito dos Santos Freitas is scheduled for Monday and will be the first official trip to South Korea by an East Timorese top diplomat since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 2002, the South Korean foreign ministry said Thursday.
During the meeting, Cho Hyun and Freitas will discuss cooperation in the economy, development, security and international affairs, as well as ways to implement the vision for a comprehensive strategic partnership between South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the ministry said.
Timor-Leste became ASEAN's 11th member in October 2025. "The upcoming talks are expected to provide an opportunity to further strengthen bilateral ties and explore ways to deepen cooperation between South Korea and ASEAN," ministry spokesperson Park Il said at a press briefing.
