Portugal this week reaffirmed its commitment to continue supporting Timor-Leste by adapting existing cooperation programs, especially in the education sector, as well as in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Portuguese ambassador said on Friday.

“I cannot but reaffirm the Portuguese Cooperation’s commitment to continue to support the Government of Timor-Leste in solving the various problems it faces, as well as to implement ongoing projects arising from will, interest and investment, financial and human rights resources from the competent authorities of both countries, ”said Jose Pedro Machado Vieira.

The diplomat, who is participating in the expanded meeting of Timor-Leste’s development partners, has already met on a bilateral basis with various government officials and other officials.

Machado Vieira welcomed the government’s commitment to strengthening relationships with development partners “in a spirit of national ownership and leadership in development cooperation”.

The diplomat congratulated the authorities, in particular, on “excellent results in preventing and combating the Covid-19 pandemic” and in responding to the aftermath of the tropical cyclone Seroy in Dili and several municipalities.

In both cases, Portugal, like other international partners, “sought to be present, providing assistance and support to the competent Timorese authorities, directly, by reallocating funds or adapting projects under development to the circumstances,” he recalled.

In the first half of 2021, like last year, Portugal continued the bilateral cooperation program for 2019-2023, which provides for annual investments of about 14.5 million euros.

In addition to the support provided regionally and globally, and in the specific case of Timor-Leste, Portugal contributed € 140,000 as part of the Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan for the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Portuguese government has contributed € 50,000 to the United Nations Population Fund in Timor-Leste and the Thematic Fund for Maternal and Child Health.to support the response to the pandemic in this area, “by purchasing supplies for maternity ward equipment and isolation maternity hospitals for pregnant women, and training medical teams in 13 municipalities across the country.”

Funding from the Global AIDS Fund of US $ 525,000 (about € 442,000) has also been reallocated and made more flexible for the acquisition of equipment for rapid tests for Covid-19 and the costs of collecting and transporting samples. “.

In addition to vaccination support, with the delivery of the first batch of 12,000 vaccines proposed by Portugal to Dili this month, an emergency contribution of € 150,000 was made to the World Food Program., to service humanitarian flights to Dili, as well as a € 75,000 contribution to the UN Children’s Fund in the country for the purchase of personal protective equipment and oxygen concentrators.

Later this year, Portugal joined in supporting the population affected by the April floods, which destroyed public and private infrastructure and killed more than 40 people.

Portuguese cooperation has delivered basic necessities to displaced people, supported emergency food and water programs, and provided € 125,000 to support additional emergency interventions.

Overall, Portugal’s cooperation program with Timor-Leste for the period 2019-2023 is about 71 million euros, making the country one of the main recipients of Portugal’s public development assistance (ODA).

Education remains the main focus of Portugal’s cooperation in Timor-Leste, with approximately 80% of ODA going to the country.

“This figure clearly demonstrates the importance that Portugal and Timor-Leste attach to structuring the country’s development area, whether it is basic education or investment in training at an academic or professional level,” the diplomat emphasized.

Initiatives being implemented include CAFE schools, the PRO-Português teacher training project, the FOCO.UNTL initiative at the university level and the support of the Portuguese School in Dili – Teaching and Portuguese Language Center – Ruy Cinatti, a primary school. reference in the country.

Portugal also supports initiatives in the agricultural sector, including the Quinta Portugal project, and strengthens cooperation in the field of justice, “from the very beginning of bilateral relations and has become of central strategic importance in this context.”

Portugal’s support also extends to social security, defense with a framework that ends this year and is due to be updated, and delegated cooperation initiatives from the European Union.