DILI, 16 July 2026 – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Timor-Leste, in collaboration with the ASEAN-China Cooperation Fund (ACCF) Management Team (AMT), the Permanent Mission of Timor-Leste to ASEAN, and the ASEAN Secretariat, hosted the ACCF Promotion and ASEAN Project Proposal Development Training for Timor-Leste Government Officials and Agencies from 14-16 July 2026 in Dili. The training aimed to promote ACCF and enhance participants’ understanding of ASEAN cooperation project proposal development, including relevant rules and procedures.

Counsellor Ma Xiaohui of the Mission of the People’s Republic of China to ASEAN, in his remarks, expressed appreciation to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Timor-Leste, the Permanent Mission of Timor-Leste to ASEAN, and the ASEAN Secretariat for their strong support for the training. He highlighted that China and ASEAN are good neighbours, good friends, and good partners, with cooperation continuing to deepen over the past 35 years since the establishment of ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations in 1991.

He noted that ASEAN-China cooperation has made significant progress in political trust, sustainable development, regional economic integration, and people-to-people exchanges. He reaffirmed China’s commitment to working with ASEAN to build a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful, and amicable home. He also underscored China’s support for Timor-Leste as its strengthen its participation in ASEAN cooperation and encouraged Timor-Leste to fully leverage the ACCF as an important funding channel to broaden practical cooperation between ASEAN and China.

Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for Community and Corporate Affairs, Nararya S. Soeprapto, through his pre-recorded remarks, extended his appreciation to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Timor-Leste, the Mission of the People’s Republic of China to ASEAN, AMT, and the ASEAN Secretariat for jointly organising the training. He emphasised that the training was timely as Timor-Leste continues its journey as ASEAN’s newest Member State and strengthens its capacity to participate more fully in ASEAN cooperation mechanisms.

He stressed the importance of regionality in ASEAN cooperation project proposals, noting that such projects are designed to address shared regional challenges, strengthen cooperation among ASEAN Member States, and enhance collaboration with external partners, including China. He also highlighted that successful ASEAN cooperation projects require strong partnerships and close collaboration among relevant stakeholders, and encouraged participants to continue working with AMT and the ASEAN Secretariat beyond the workshop.

Ambassador Jorge Camões, Director-General for ASEAN Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Timor-Leste, delivered his opening remarks in person and welcomed participants, representatives from the Mission of the People’s Republic of China to ASEAN, AMT, and the ASEAN Secretariat. He expressed appreciation to the Government of the People’s Republic of China, the Mission of China to ASEAN, and the ASEAN Secretariat for their continued support and partnership in making the training possible.

He highlighted that the three-day workshop marked an important step in strengthening Timor-Leste’s national capacity as the country advances its integration into the ASEAN family. He emphasised that the training aimed to equip officials across the three ASEAN Community pillars with practical knowledge and skills to develop high-quality regional project proposals aligned with the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and ASEAN-China cooperation priorities. He also encouraged participants to actively engage in the sessions, make full use of the expertise of AMT and the ASEAN Secretariat, and develop projects that benefit both Timor-Leste and the wider ASEAN region. The training was attended by 60 participants from 24 Timor-Leste government agencies involved in the ASEAN Political-Security Community, ASEAN Economic Community, and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community. The three-day training included presentations, exercises, group work, and discussions led by ACCFMT and the ASEAN Secretariat on developing regional project proposals and managing ASEAN cooperation projects using a results-based management approach.

At the end of the training, participants developed and presented project proposal drafts on: (1) Addressing Youth and Graduate Unemployment in ASEAN: Towards Inclusive and Future-Ready Labour Markets; (2) Strengthening Access to Safely Managed Clean Water for Rural Communities across ASEAN Member States; (3) Reducing Violence Against Children: A Comprehensive Prevention and Protection Initiative; (4) Improving Quality of Educators in CLMV-TL Countries; (5) Increase Qualified Law Enforcers and Labourers to Lower Human Trafficking on Unskilled Labourers; (6) Strengthening Capacity Building on Monitoring & Evaluation for ASCC Sectoral Bodies.

The training concluded with the presentation of the group project proposal drafts, reflecting the participants’ strengthened understanding of ASEAN cooperation project development, regionality, results-based management, and the use of ACCF as a platform to support practical ASEAN-China cooperation. The training culminated in the awarding of certificates to the participants by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Timor-Leste, marking their successful completion of the course.