Leaders issue joint press statement after summit; three cooperation documents adopted

President Lee Jae Myung poses for a photo with Timorese President José Ramos-Horta at Cheong Wa Dae on Friday. [Yonhap]
President Lee Jae Myung poses for a photo with Timorese President José Ramos-Horta at Cheong Wa Dae on Friday. [Yonhap]

President Lee Jae Myung met with Timorese President José Ramos-Horta at Cheong Wa Dae on Friday for a bilateral summit focused on expanding practical cooperation between the two countries.

Speaking at a joint press statement following the summit, Lee told Ramos-Horta, who is on an official visit to South Korea, that Seoul would stand by Dili as it pursues its next chapter of development. "South Korea will be a good friend and steadfast partner as Timor-Leste embarks on its journey toward a new leap forward," Lee said.

Lee said the meeting marked "an important turning point in developing the special bond between our two countries — forged through peace and democracy — into a shared journey toward the future."

Lee cited the Sangnoksu Unit, a South Korean peacekeeping force dispatched to Timor-Leste in 1999, as "a symbol of the extraordinary solidarity between the two countries."

The Sangnoksu Unit was deployed to Timor-Leste from 1999 to 2003, where it worked to maintain public order, consolidate peace and support community reconstruction.

Lee also referenced Ramos-Horta's 1996 Nobel Peace Prize, saying the two nations share "a special common bond in having defended peace and democracy through the unwavering will of their people, without yielding to historical hardship."

Lee said the summit produced concrete outcomes across multiple areas. "On the foundation of this deep friendship and trust, we held productive discussions to expand cooperation in diplomacy and security, economic development cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges," he said.

The two sides agreed to strengthen joint efforts against transnational crime, invigorate cooperation in labor and education, and establish a new regular consultative body between the two governments.

The signing of a technical arrangement on public security cooperation will pave the way for expanded information sharing between law enforcement authorities, deeper labor cooperation including through the Employment Permit System, and other joint initiatives.

The two leaders also discussed ways to work closely together for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the broader region and international community.

Lee said he explained his government's firm philosophy "that building a peace where there is no need to fight is the surest form of security," and introduced the administration's three-point blueprint for peaceful coexistence. He added that Ramos-Horta "expressed full support for our government's efforts to achieve peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and cooperation."

President Lee Jae Myung (right) and Timorese President José Ramos-Horta deliver a joint press statement at Cheong Wa Dae following their summit on Friday. [Yonhap]
President Lee Jae Myung (right) and Timorese President José Ramos-Horta deliver a joint press statement at Cheong Wa Dae following their summit on Friday. [Yonhap]

On the sidelines of the summit, government agencies from both countries adopted three documents to expand cooperation in areas including public security and intellectual property.

South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Timor-Leste's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation signed an MOU establishing a regular high-level consultative mechanism between the two foreign ministries.

The Korean National Police Agency and the Timorese National Police signed a technical arrangement on security cooperation, under which the two sides will build a joint framework to counter transnational crime, cooperate on investigations into fugitives abroad, operate a regular working-level consultative body, and set up a direct hotline.

South Korea's Intellectual Property Office and Timor-Leste's Ministry of Commerce and Industry signed an MOU for comprehensive cooperation in the field of intellectual property.


sang@heraldcorp.com