Foreign ministers of Korea, East Timor agree to expand climate, infrastructure cooperation

The foreign ministers of South Korea and East Timor agreed Monday to broaden cooperation in climate change, infrastructure, human resource development and other areas of mutual interest, Seoul's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

The agreement was reached during the meeting between South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and his East Timorese counterpart, Bendito dos Santos Freitas, held in Seoul earlier in the day, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Freitas's visit marked the first official trip to South Korea by an East Timorese foreign minister since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 2002, though he had previously visited the country twice, in 2010 and 2011, while serving as head of East Timor's vocational training and employment agency.

During the talks, the two sides agreed to expand cooperation in education, human resource development and government capacity building, which East Timor considers key priorities for its national development.

The ministers also discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in climate change-related areas, including greenhouse gas reduction projects and carbon capture and storage, as well as in maritime affairs, infrastructure and law enforcement aimed at combating transnational crime.

Cho reaffirmed Seoul's support for East Timor's integration into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and pledged continued assistance for the country's participation in the regional bloc.

Freitas expressed support for South Korea's vision of a comprehensive strategic partnership with Asean and various cooperation initiatives under the framework.

East Timor became Asean's 11th member in October 2025.

During the meeting, Cho highlighted the longstanding ties between the two countries, recalling South Korea's deployment of the Sangnoksu peacekeeping unit to East Timor during its independence and nation-building process from 1999 to 2003.

"Cho explained Seoul's policy vision for peaceful co-existence with North Korea, while Freitas expressed support for the initiative. The two ministers also agreed to continue working together to promote regional and global peace and stability," the Foreign Ministry said in a release.

Yonhap