President Lee Jae Myung (second on left) and Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta (second on right) on Nov. 6 hold an expanded bilateral summit along with a luncheon at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul.
By Xu Aiying
Photos = Cheong Wa Dae
President Lee Jae Myung and Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta in their Nov. 6 summit agreed to expand bilateral practical cooperation in a range of areas including diplomacy and security, economy, climate change, development cooperation, labor and education.
In a joint news statement after their talks at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, President Lee expressed confidence that his Timorese counterpart's visit would mark an important milestone in the development of bilateral relations, and pledged stronger ties ahead of the 25th anniversary of both Timor-Leste's independence and bilateral relations next year.
Both sides agreed to expand practical cooperation in future-oriented fields like intellectual property and climate change. Under a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on comprehensive cooperation in intellectual property, they will share their systems and expertise in intellectual property protection and strengthen Timor-Leste's institutional framework in the field.
They also agreed to seek the early conclusion of an accord on climate change cooperation and an MOU on the implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, while expanding ties in climate change action including international projects for cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
Both sides pledged stronger cooperation in public safety to fight transnational crime and expand cooperation in labor and education. Under a technical cooperation arrangement, the two sides will enhance information sharing between their law enforcement authorities and jointly seek to improve the safety of their citizens in both countries.
They also agreed to raise labor cooperation through Korea's Employment Permit System and continue supporting the future talent and human resource development of Timor-Leste through Korean-language education, scholarship and study abroad programs, and technical and vocational training.
To keep advancing bilateral cooperation, Seoul and Dili will set up a regular consultative mechanism between their foreign affairs ministries. They will also seek to bolster the institutional foundation for communication and people-to-people exchanges by concluding a visa waiver agreement for diplomatic and official passport holders to facilitate intergovernmental exchanges and cooperation.
President Lee Jae Myung (second from right at front row) and Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta on Nov. 6 move to another venue after ending their bilateral summit at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul.
The two leaders also discussed close cooperation in promoting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula as well as in the region and the world.
President Lee said he explained his administration's firm philosophy that the surest form of security lies in creating peace that eliminates the need for conflict and outlined three key initiatives for peaceful coexistence. He added that President Ramos-Horta gave his full support for Seoul's efforts to achieve peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and cooperation.
xuaiy@korea.kr
