Indo-Pacific Affairs Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan will visit East Timor from 29 September to 2 October to launch a UK and UNICEF program to combat child malnutrition.
UK strengthens health cooperation with Timor-Leste by launching new joint health program between UK and UNICEF
Indo-Pacific Affairs Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan confirms UK support for East Timor’s upcoming accession to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
She will also attend a UN Women event, funded by the UK at ASEAN level, to promote women’s participation in security, conflict resolution and development policies.
To strengthen cooperation between the UK and Timor-Leste on health and development, UK Minister for the Indo-Pacific, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, will arrive in Timor-Leste today (Friday 29 September) for a visit of three days. The visit will be the first by a British minister since East Timor gained independence in 2002.
Minister Trevelyan will hold high-level talks with his Timorese counterparts, including President Ramos-Horta, Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão and Foreign Minister Benedito dos Santos Freitas. Discussions will focus on opportunities to deepen cooperation between the two countries in the field of health and development, including through the joint UK and UNICEF health program to help combat child malnutrition, which the Minister will launch during your visit.
Supported by £1 million of funding from the UK Government, the program will train community volunteers and establish support groups to encourage and advise parents on healthy eating practices.
Minister Trevelyan will also attend the Women in Leadership event jointly organized by the Government of East Timor and UN Women. The event is supported by UK funding for UN Women and is part of a wider £3.2 million program between the UK and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) announced earlier this year. The program will work to strengthen the role of women in peace and security initiatives across Southeast Asia.
The visit occurs in an important year for East Timor, with its incorporation into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the region’s first political and economic bloc. Minister Trevelyan will reiterate the UK’s continued support for Timor-Leste’s accession, with the UK becoming an ASEAN Dialogue Partner in 2021. Southeast Asia is a global center of economic growth and prosperity, and commitment of the United Kingdom as an ASEAN Dialogue Partner supports the Prime Minister. The Minister’s priority is economic development.
Ahead of the visit, Anne-Marie Trevelyan said:
“As an ASEAN dialogue partner, the UK continues to work closely with partners across Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific region to ensure sustainable peace and prosperity in the region and address the challenges of the future.
“On my first visit to East Timor, I look forward to discussing opportunities to strengthen our bilateral relationship and collaborate on shared health and development priorities.
“We remain steadfast in our support for Timor-Leste joining the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as a key partner on the global stage.
The UK’s increased engagement with Timor-Leste demonstrates its long-term commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, in line with the Integrated Review Update published in March 2023.
In addition to development cooperation, the UK supports Timor-Leste to maintain regional stability, and the Royal Navy ship HMS Spey will visit Dili in August 2023.
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2023-09-30 02:35:43
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