PM Lawrence Wong to meet Timor-Leste leaders on first official visit

PM Lawrence Wong to meet Timor-Leste leaders on first official visit Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta will present Mr Wong with the country's highest honour in recognition of Singapore's support for its development and ASEAN accession. DILI, Timor-Leste: Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will make his first official visit to Timor-Leste from Thursday (Jul 2) to Friday, marking the first visit by a Singapore prime minister to Southeast Asia's newest ASEAN member. Mr Wong, who is also finance minister, will attend a welcome ceremony at the Presidential Palace in the capital Dili before meeting President Jose Ramos-Horta, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in a statement on Wednesday. He will also meet Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao and witness the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Singapore and Timor-Leste. Mr Gusmao will host a state banquet lunch in his honour. The visit reciprocates Mr Gusmao's official visit to Singapore in July last year, said MFA. Dr Ramos-Horta will present Mr Wong with the Order of Timor-Leste (Grand Collar), the country's highest honour, in recognition of Singapore's contributions to Timor-Leste's national development and its support for the country's accession to ASEAN. Timor-Leste formally applied to join ASEAN in 2011 and became the regional bloc's 11th member in October 2025. Mr Wong will be accompanied by his wife, Mrs Wong, and Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, who made an official visit to Timor-Leste in July 2023. During the visit, Mr Wong will also meet members of the Singaporean community living in Timor-Leste at a reception in Dili. Singapore has supported Timor-Leste's development since before its independence in 2002. It was among the first countries to contribute personnel to the Australian-led International Force East Timor, a peacekeeping mission deployed in August 1999. Between 1999 and 2012, Singapore contributed more than 1,000 Singapore Armed Forces personnel, including medical teams and combat peacekeepers, as well as assets such as landing ship tanks and helicopters, as part of international peacekeeping efforts. The Singapore Police Force also deployed officers to the United Nations civilian police contingent and helped establish the East Timor Police Service in 2000. Singapore and Timor-Leste have also strengthened economic ties. In 2024, Singapore was Timor-Leste's fifth-largest trading partner. In 2025, Singapore's main exports to Timor-Leste included mineral fuels and oils, machinery and mechanical appliances, and dairy and animal products. In Mr Wong's absence, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong will serve as acting prime minister. The visit comes just over a week after President Tharman Shanmugaratnam extended Singapore's condolences on Jun 24, following the death of former Timor-Leste President Francisco Guterres.