Dili, September 2^nd, 2019: H.E.  the Timorese Prime Minister, Taur Matan Ruak, welcomed a courtesy visit of his counterpart from Guinea-Bissau, Dr. Aristides Gomes. In this meeting, this Saturday, August 31^st, 2019, at the Government Palace, both Heads of Government talked about the bilateral cooperation among these two countries, namely on the CPLP (Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries) cooperation framework.

During this courtesy meeting, the Timorese Head of Government expressed his warm welcome and gratitude to the Guinean Prime Minister for his willingness to accept, despite of the enormous distance lays between both countries, the invitation to participate in the Referendum (Popular Consultation) and the INTERFET Mission 20^th anniversary celebrations, which will be held on August 30^th 2019.

Similarly, the Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau thanked his Timorese counterpart for the invitation and emphasized that his presence in Timor-Leste was to strengthening the amicable relationship developed among between both countries, which started in 1975. Taking this occasion, the Guinean Head of Government also expressed his deepest gratitude to the Government of Timor-Leste for supporting his country organizing the electoral process, thus bringing the country to the way of democracy.

 “We have a similar identity in terms of nation-building. We come from a similar process of struggling for independence. That is why we must preserve this identity by continuously serve our countries and establish cooperation for the development of the nation”, said the Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau to the press, after the courtesy meeting with his Timorese counterpart.

Besides the Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau, his Guinean delegation included the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Communities, Suzi Barbosa, and the Secretary of State of Electoral Management, Julio Cesar Nosolini. END