From V.Sankara
DILI, Sept 15 (Bernama) — The Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) today began its eight-day coverage mission to Timor-Leste as the official media and coordinator of the International Media Centre for ASEAN Summit coverage.
The delegation, led by Acting Deputy Editor-in-Chief of News Services Mohd Shukri Ishak, arrived from KLIA1 at about 7.30 am local time on a Batik Air direct flight.
Batik Air is the only airline operating direct flights between Kuala Lumpur and Dili, every Monday and Friday.
On arrival, the team met Prime Minister of Timor-Leste Xanana Gusmão at Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport.
They later paid a courtesy call on the Malaysian Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Datuk Amarjit Singh, at the embassy office here.
In a briefing, Amarjit said Malaysia had been instrumental in preparing Timor-Leste for ASEAN membership.
He noted that support included technical training, scholarships, and higher education opportunities.
More than 1,000 Timorese officials have been trained under the Malaysia Technical Cooperation Programme (MTCP) since 2000.
“Malaysia has always stood with Timor-Leste, from opening the first ASEAN embassy in Dili in 2002, to providing consistent capacity-building support,” he said.
Timor-Leste, which regained independence in 2002, formally applied to join ASEAN in 2011. In 2022, it was granted in-principle approval.
ASEAN leaders later agreed to admit the country as the bloc’s 11th member by the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October.
Home to about 1.4 million people, Timor-Leste remains Southeast Asia’s youngest nation.
As part of the mission, Bernama will conduct an exclusive interview with President José Ramos-Horta and engage with leaders, students, businesses and civil society.
The mission aims to strengthen coverage of ASEAN–Timor-Leste ties ahead of the country’s full membership.
— BERNAMA
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