Bilateral meeting with H.E. Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, Prime Minister of Timor-Leste

Dili — The FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu met with the Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, His Excellency Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, at the Government Palace in Dili.

The Director-General expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome and emphasized the importance of capacity building in the agricultural sector in Timor-Leste. He also discussed several initiatives in place aimed at boosting agricultural productivity and sustainability and underscored the importance of developing suitable rice varieties, expanding coffee plantations, improving food quality, and the development of the aquaculture sector. The Director-General also noted the potential for improving livestock, particularly through the development of buffalo farming, which could contribute to food security and income generation.

The Prime Minister welcomed FAO's initiatives and highlighted the challenges faced by Timor-Leste as a young nation. He stressed the urgent need for international support to enhance agricultural productivity and food quality and pointed out the country's reliance on imports due to inadequate local production, noting the scarcity of essential food items such as rice and eggs.

The Prime Minister further expressed his appreciation for the proposed programs, particularly for rice and other crop quality improvements, and underscored the importance of increasing local production and reducing dependency on imports to ensure food security and resilience for Timor-Leste's population. 

The Director-General also emphasized the need to diversify food production in Timor-Leste and advocated for a more balanced diet that includes a variety of vegetables and new rice varieties to meet nutritional needs. The Director-General also highlighted the benefits of South-South and Triangular Cooperation, suggesting that Timor-Leste could benefit from knowledge and expertise sharing with other developing countries facing similar challenges.

The meeting concluded with both parties reaffirming their commitment to work closely together to enhance agricultural development and food security in Timor-Leste. They agreed on the importance of timely implementation of the discussed initiatives and pledged to continue dialogue to ensure successful outcomes.