Prime Minister Narendra Modi engaged in a bilateral meeting with Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta at Gujarat’s Mahatma Mandir on Tuesday. The Nobel Peace Laureate and the Indian Prime Minister exchanged handshakes, warmly greeting each other during the encounter. PM Modi also interacted with the accompanying delegation, with the presence of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, and Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra.
President Ramos-Horta had arrived in Gujarat on Monday to participate in the 10th Vibrant Gujarat Summit, where he was welcomed by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel. This visit marked a significant milestone as the first Head of State-level meeting between India and Timor-Leste. India had early established diplomatic ties with Timor-Leste, and the Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal highlighted the importance of this visit in a post on X, stating, “President @JoseRamosHorta1 of Timor-Leste welcomed by CM @Bhupendrapbjp of Gujarat as he arrives in Ahmedabad for the 10th @VibrantGujarat Summit. This is the first Head of State level visit between the two countries, marking a significant milestone in bilateral partnership.”
“President Jose Ramos-Horta of Timor-Leste welcomed by CM of Gujarat Bhupendra Patel as he arrives in Ahmedabad for the 10th Vibrant Gujarat Summit,” MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on ‘X’.
#WATCH | Gujarat: Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds a bilateral meeting with José Ramos-Horta, President of Timor-Leste, in Gandhinagar.#VibrantGujaratGlobalSummit pic.twitter.com/hV7ZyVBwxp
— ANI (@ANI) January 9, 2024
Diplomatic relations between India and Timor-Leste were established in January 2003. During the ASEAN-India Summit in Jakarta on September 7, 2023, Prime Minister Modi announced the decision to set up an Indian Embassy in Dili, the capital of Timor-Leste. This strategic move reflects India’s commitment to ASEAN and underscores the importance placed on its relations with Timor-Leste.