Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak holds his first meeting with the new European Union Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Andrew Jacobs
Dili, November 8th, 2019: His Excellency, the Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak, held his first meeting this Friday, in the Government Palace, in Dili, with the new European Union Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Andrew Jacobs, who has just presented his credential letters to the President of the Republic, on October 15th, 2019.
In the meeting, the Head of Government welcomed and congratulated the Ambassador Andrew Jacobs for his placement in Timor-Leste, and took the chance to talk about the Government’s priorities for the years 2020 to 2023, specifically the priorities related to enhance people wellbeing, thus, the Government will propose, in the upcoming financial year, a great percentage of fund for social programmes which directly impact people’s lives, including the Tasi Mane Project and the legislative reforms in the public finance, public administration and decentralization policy sectors.
The Head of Government further thanked the existing cooperation between the European Union and Timor-Leste, namely in the rural development and good governance sectors, and expressed his desire that, in the future, this cooperation would be maintained, improved, and extended to other sectors, in line with the Government’s priorities.
On the other hand, the ambassador Andrew expressed his satisfaction for the meeting with the Head of Government and reaffirmed the assurance of a strong relationship and good cooperation between the European Union and Timor-Leste.
Andrew Jacobs, previously the European Union ambassador to Pacific, complimented the Government’s plans and priority programmes presented by the Head of Government and expressed his immediate readiness to work with the Government and the People of Timor-Leste in the rural development, good governance and decentralization sectors, as well as support for the Government’s ongoing reforms and other areas.
The European Union support programme to Timor-Leste, within the scope of XI European Development Fund, between 2014 and 2020 period, has a total of €95 million, of which, €15 million for this year. Of the total support fund, €30 million devoted to good governance programme; €57 million to rural development programme and €8 million for support measures. END