President Lee: "Strengthen cooperation with Timor-Leste against transnational crime, pursue grant aid agreement"

Lee holds summit with Timor-Leste President Ramos-Horta on the 6th
Governments of both countries adopt three documents on public security, intellectual property, and other areas

President Lee Jae Myung said on the 6th that South Korea and Timor-Leste had agreed to “strengthen cooperation to combat transnational crime and further expand cooperation in labor and education” during a summit with Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta.

President Lee made the remarks in a joint press statement after meeting with President Ramos-Horta, who was on an official visit to South Korea, at Cheong Wa Dae that day. “Following the signing of the Technical Arrangement on Public Security Cooperation, the two countries agreed to expand information sharing between their public security authorities and strengthen their capacity to jointly respond to transnational crime,” President Lee said.

President Lee Jae Myung announces the results of the summit during a joint press statement with Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta following their summit at Cheong Wa Dae on Nov. 6, 2026. Yonhap News Agency

In connection with the agreement, South Korea’s National Police Agency and the National Police of Timor-Leste signed a technical arrangement on public security cooperation that day. The two agencies will establish a joint response system for transnational crime and work together on investigations into fugitives who have fled overseas, as well as set up a hotline. Cheong Wa Dae added that the arrangement is expected to establish a cooperation network to prevent transnational crime and enable a system for swift investigative cooperation in cases and incidents involving South Korean citizens.

President Lee also said, “We agreed to expand practical cooperation in forward-looking areas, including responding to climate change.” He added, “Based on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Comprehensive Cooperation in Intellectual Property, the two countries agreed to share their systems and experience in intellectual property protection and strengthen the foundation for protecting intellectual property in Timor-Leste.”

“We agreed to strengthen development cooperation to support Timor-Leste’s sustainable economic and social development,” he said. “We will actively share our development experience with Timor-Leste and work together to ensure that it leads to tangible results that the people of Timor-Leste can experience.”

“To this end, we agreed to pursue the early conclusion of a Framework Agreement on Grant Aid and establish an institutional foundation for carrying out development cooperation projects in a more stable and systematic manner,” he said.

President Lee Jaemyung welcomes Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta, who is on an official visit to Korea, at the Blue House on Nov. 6, 2026. Yonhap News.

President Lee also said, “We agreed to establish a regular consultative body between the two countries to provide an institutional foundation for the continued development of bilateral cooperation.” He added, “We also agreed to pursue a visa waiver agreement for diplomatic and official passport holders to facilitate exchanges and cooperation between the two governments.”

President Lee also said, “I believe the courage and determination of the people of Timor-Leste, who never lost their aspiration for peace and democracy despite enduring long hardship, are deeply connected to the spirit of defending democracy shown by the people of South Korea.” He added, “Given that both countries have served as models for the development of democracy in Asia, I would like to say that ‘the era of democracy in Asia begins in South Korea and Timor-Leste.’”

Meanwhile, following the summit between President Lee and President Ramos-Horta, government agencies from the two countries adopted three documents that day, with a focus on expanding cooperation in areas including public security and intellectual property.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.