India To Open Embassy In Timor-Leste, Announces PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, Speaking at the 20th ASEAN-India Summit in Jakarta, announced the decision to establish an embassy in Dili, Timor-Leste.

India's decision to open an embassy in Dili its commitment to the Act East policy.

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said, "At the ASEAN-India Summit in Jakarta on 7 September 2023, the Prime Minister announced a decision to establish an Indian Embassy in Dili, Timor-Leste."

At the ASEAN-India summit, the prime minister announced the decision to establish an Indian Embassy in Dili, Timor-Leste, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

"The decision is a reflection of the importance India attaches to ASEAN, and its relations with Timor Leste," it said.

The decision was enthusiastically embraced by ASEAN members and Timor-Leste, according to the ministry.

PM Modi spoke to the ASEAN-India summit on Thursday morning in Jakarta, claiming that the regional organisation serves as the focal point of India's Act East Policy.

Timor-Leste, a Southeast Asian nation of 1.34 million people according to World Bank statistics, declared its independence from Portugal in 1975.

Timor-Leste first became an observer member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2022. After the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits, ASEAN agreed in principle to admit Timor-Leste as the organization's eleventh member. Timor-Leste joined ASEAN that year as an observer.