Dili – 16 May 011
The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Timor-Leste, Zacarias Albano da Costa with
President of Lebanon, General Michel Suleiman
Minister da Costa is visiting Lebanon after leading Timor-Leste’s delegation at the Fourth UN Least Developed Countries (LDCs) meeting in Istanbul, which ended on Friday.
In November 2011, the first group of Timorese military will be part of the Portuguese contingent participating in the UN International Peace Mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
The participation of the 14 Timor-Leste military (F-FDTL) in the Portuguese contingent of UNIFIL was one of the topics of the meeting between Timor-Leste’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Lebanese President Michel Suleiman.
The Lebanese President also discussed with Minister Zacarias da Costa the need for deepening the cooperation between Lebanon and Timor-Leste, the situation in the Middle East, and the current political situation in Lebanon.
Minister Zacarias also visited the headquarters of the Honorary Consulate General of Timor-Leste in Beirut and had dinner with members of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps in Beirut.
Today, Monday, May 16 the Foreign Minister for Timor-Leste will meet his Lebanese counterpart, Ali al-Sham, and have lunch with entrepreneurs and businessmen in Beirut, before returning to Timor-Leste. The visit to Lebanon will finish on Tuesday, 17th May, 2011.
The visit of the Timor-Leste Minister for Foreign Affairs in Beirut is taking place precisely two years after the visit of President Jose Ramos-Horta in May, 2009. END
