<!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see WP:SDNONE -->
After the referendum on independence on 30 August 1999, Timor-Leste became an independent nation on 20 May 2002 and began initiating diplomatic relations with the rest of the global community.
Policy
The foreign policy of Timor-Leste has been defined by its position as a small state surrounded by two much larger powers. Rather than formally aligning with any particular state or bloc, Timor-Leste has sought a diverse set of positive relationships. Upon independence foreign policy was shaped by José Ramos-Horta, who has previously campaigned internationally for East Timorese independence. Ramos-Horta was a proponent of Internationalism, and held sway until 2012. Following elections in 2012, leaders such as Xanana Gusmão and Taur Matan Ruak pursued a slightly more nationalistic foreign policy.
Timor-Leste has pursued membership in a variety of multilateral forums, positioning itself as a reliable international actor. This promotion of international law is tied to the countries own security needs. Its broad global relations are shaped by its history, with its ties outside of its immediate region influenced by Catholicism, and by Portuguese colonial history. Regionally, its relations are influenced by cultural links to nearby regions, as well by the need to ensure security and independence in the light of the power imbalance between Timor-Leste and its neighbours, Australia and Indonesia.
|-
|1
|
|
|-
|2
|
|
|-
|3
|
|
|-
|5
|
|
|-
|6
|
|
|-
|7
|
|
|-
|8
|
|
|-
|9
|
|
|-
|10
|
|
|-
|11
|
|
|-
|12
|
|
|-
|13
|
|
|-
|14
|
|
|-
|15
|
|
|-
|—
|
|
|-
|16
|
|
|-
|17
|
|
|-
|18
|
|
|-
|19
|
|
|-
|20
|
|
|-
|21
|
|
|-
|22
|
|
|-
|23
|
|
|-
|—
|
|
|-
|24
|
|
|-
|25
|
|
|-
|26
|
|
|-
|27
|
|
|-
|28
|
|
|-
|29
|
|
|-
|30
|
|
|-
|31
|
|
|-
|32
|
|
|-
|33
|
|
|-
|34
|
|
|-
|35
|
|
|-
|36
|
|
|-
|37
|
|
|-
|38
|
|
|-
|39
|
|
|-
|40
|
|
|-
|41
|
|
|-
|42
|
|
|-
|43
|
|
|-
|44
|
|
|-
|45
|
|
|-
|46
|
|
|-
|47
|
|
|-
|48
|
|
|-
|49
|
|
|-
|50
|
|
|-
|51
|
|
|-
|52
|
|
|-
|53
|
|
|-
|54
|
|
|-
|55
|
|
|-
|57
|
|
|-
|58
|
|
|-
|59
|
|
|-
|60
|
|
|-
|61
|
|
|-
|62
|
|
|-
|63
|
|
|-
|67
|
|
|-
|80
|
|
|-
|81
|
|
|-
|87
|
|
|-
|88
|
|
|-
|89
|
|
|-
|90
|
|
|-
|92
|
|
|-
|—
|
|
|-
|93
|
|
|-
|101
|
|
|-
|102
|
|
|-
|103
|
|
|-
|104
|
|
|-
|105
|
|
|-
|106
|
|
|-
|110
|
|
|-
|111
|
|
|-
|112
|
|
|-
|127
|
|
|-
|128
|
|
|-
|135
|
|
|-
|136
|
|
|}
Bilateral relations
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%; margin:auto;"
|-
! style="width:15%;"| Country
! style="width:12%;"| Formal Relations Began
!Notes
|- valign="top"
|||<!--Date started-->||See Australia–Timor-Leste relations
Australia and Timor-Leste are near neighbours with close political and trade ties. For many years Australia implicitly supported the Indonesian occupation of East Timor, giving priority to the policy of maintaining good relations with Indonesia. This policy was however changed in the late 1990s, when Australia began to support the UN. Since then, Australia has played a prominent role in the young republic's history. Australia led the military force that helped stabilise the country after it chose independence from Indonesia in 1999 and also after the internal conflict in 2006 and has been a major source of aid since.
- Australia has an embassy in Dili.
- Timor-Leste has an embassy in Canberra and consulates-general in Darwin and Sydney.
|- valign="top"
|||<!--Date started-->||See Brazil–Timor-Leste relations
Brazil and Timor-Leste are both Portuguese-speaking and relations are friendly. Brazil has a co-operation program with Timor-Leste, that includes a wide range of areas, including labour policy, justice, national security, culture, agriculture, education, governance, sports, environment and health.
- Brazil has an embassy in Dili.
- Timor-Leste has an embassy in Brasília.
|- valign="top"
|||<!--Date started-->||See China–Timor-Leste relations
- China has an embassy in Dili.
- Timor-Leste has an embassy in Beijing.
|- valign="top"
|||<!--Date started-->||Georgia is represented in Timor by its embassy in Jakarta.
|- valign="top"
|||<!--Date started-->||See India–Timor-Leste relations
Relations between Timor-Leste and India date back to the early modern period. Indian traders traveled to the island in search of sandalwood. Trade links increased after the Portuguese colonisation of Timor-Leste and portions of India. The Portuguese set up various garrisoned centres in India to carry out this trade, and all of Portugal's territories in Asia, including Timor-Leste, were governed by the Portuguese Viceroy in Goa. Portuguese-trained Goan missionaries arrived in Timor-Leste in the early 17th century, and were influential in spreading Catholicism in the country. Indians also traveled to Timor-Leste to serve as soldiers, colonial bureaucrats, and missionaries. Some Indians arrived in Timor-Leste in the late 19th century to work as migrant labour. A small community of Timorese nationals of Goan descent trace their heritage back to these previous generations of immigrants.
India was the second country to recognize the independence of Timor-Leste.
India diplomats Kamlesh Sharma and Atul Khare served as the Special Representative of Secretary General (SRSG) in Timor-Leste until 2004 and 2009 respectively. India's DPR in New York was a member of the UN Security Council appointed team that visited Timor-Leste in November to assess the situation on the ground and seek feedback from the all parties regarding the withdrawal of the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT)'s and the situation in the country post-withdrawal.
|- valign="top"
|||<!--Date started-->||See Indonesia–Timor-Leste relations
thumb|[[Indonesia-Timor-Leste border in Mota'ain]]
Despite the traumatic past, relations with Indonesia are very good.
Indonesia is by far the largest trading partner of Timor-Leste (Approximately 50% of imports, 2005) and is steadily increasing its share.
The East Timor-Indonesia Boundary Committee meets to survey and delimit land boundary; and Indonesia is seeking resolution of East Timorese refugees in Indonesia.
|- valign="top"
|||<!--Date started-->||See Israel–Timor-Leste relations
Both countries established diplomatic relations in May 2002.
|- valign="top"
|||<!--Date started-->||See Japan–Timor-Leste relations
- Timor-Leste has an embassy in Tokyo.
- Japan has an embassy in Dili.
|- valign="top"
|||<!--Date started-->10 March 2022||See Kosovo–Timor-Leste relations
Timor-Leste recognised the independence of Kosovo on 20 September 2012. The two countries established diplomatic relations on 10 March 2022.
|- valign="top"
|||<!--Date started-->||See Malaysia–Timor-Leste relations
Malaysia has contributed to many UN peacekeeping missions on the country, such as one are the Operation Astute during the 2006 East Timorese crisis. Malaysia also has provided assistance to Timor-Leste in the area of
human resources development through various training programmes and providing assistance to Timor-Leste in its nation building efforts.
Timor-Leste has an embassy in Kuala Lumpur, and Malaysia has an embassy in Dili.
|- valign="top"
|||<!--Date started-->26 September 2003||See Mexico–Timor-Leste relations
thumb|right|Honorary consulate of Mexico in Dili
- Timor-Leste is accredited to Mexico from its embassy in Washington, D.C., United States.
- Mexico is accredited to Timor-Leste from its embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia and maintains an honorary consulate in Dili.
|- valign="top"
|||<!--Date started-->||See Philippines–Timor-Leste relations
The Philippines is one of the biggest contributor to the UN-backed peacekeeping missions in Timor-Leste even before the Timor-Leste became independent from Indonesia.
Being the only two predominantly Catholic nation in Asia, relations with the Philippines became very positive as soon as Timor-Leste was multilaterally recognised as an independent state. The two countries are now engaged in a growing commercial relationship, as well as cultural and educational exchanges. The Philippines is a vocal supporter of Timor-Leste's membership in ASEAN.
On 6 June 2013, both countries signed three agreements in Manila concerning infrastructure development, defence and education.
Both nations were conquered by the Iberian powers, mainly by Spain and Portugal, in the 16th century.
|- valign="top"
|||<!--Date started-->||See Portugal–Timor-Leste relations
thumb|right|The [[Casa Europa in Dili, the European Union's representation in Timor-Leste Embassy of Portugal in Dili]]
Timor-Leste was a colony of Portugal for over 400 years. As a former Portuguese colony, Timor-Leste has a significant proportion of Portuguese speakers. Portuguese is one of the two official languages of Timor and it is a full member of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries.
From 1986, Portugal started to make the self-determination of Timor-Leste a major concern of its diplomatic policy, at a time when the occupation of this country by Indonesia was still a matter forgotten by the international community. The diplomatic efforts from Portugal were able to achieve a growing international support, including from countries, as Australia and the US, that hitherto implicitly supported the Indonesian occupation. This efforts would eventually lead to a referendum and the independence of Timor-Leste in 2002.
Other ties include connections between the National University of Timor-Leste and Coimbra University, and between the military forces of Timor-Leste and Portugal.
Timor-Leste opened its first Embassy abroad in Lisbon on 5 July 2002
- Timor-Leste has an embassy in Lisbon.
- Portugal has an embassy in Dili.
|- valign="top"
|||<!--Date started-->||See Russia–Timor-Leste relations
Russia was one of the first countries to recognise Timor-Leste's independence and took part in nearly all UN aid programs, providing food and relief personnel, including civil and transport aviation pilots. After the shooting of José Ramos-Horta (former president of Timor-Leste), the Russian ministry said; "The Russian side expresses its concern over the attempt on the life of the Timor-Leste president, and hopes political stability in East Timor will be maintained, as a fundamental condition for a successful solution to the complicated problems it is facing. And in the interests of strengthening national unity and ensuring social and economic development."
- Russia is accredited to Timor-Leste from its embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia.
|- valign="top"
|||<!--Date started-->||
Serbia is represented in Timor by its embassy in Jakarta.
|- valign="top"
|||<!--Date started-->20 May 2002||
Both countries established diplomatic relations on May 20, 2002.
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste set up an embassy in Singapore on 1 December 2010
During a meeting with his Timorese counterpart, Bendito dos Santos Freitas on July 24, 2023, Singapore FM Dr Vivian Balakrishnan officially announced to open embassy in Dili.
|- valign="top"
||| ||
In 2023, around 3,700 East Timorese worked in South Korea. There are plans to increase cooperation between South Korea's island province of Jeju with Timor-Leste's island municipality Atauro.
|- valign="top"
|||<!--Date started-->||See Timor-Leste–Turkey relations
Turkey is represented in Timor by its embassy in Jakarta.
|- valign="top"
||| 2002 ||See Timor-Leste–United Kingdom relations
thumb|right|[[Foreign Secretary (United Kingdom)|Foreign Secretary David Lammy with East Timorese President José Ramos-Horta in London, April 2025.]]
Timor-Leste established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on 2002.
- The United Kingdom is accredited to Timor-Leste from its embassy in Jakarta; there is no British embassy in Timor-Leste. On 29 February 2024, the UK announced its intentions to re-open an embassy in Dili.
The United Kingdom committed its support for the accession of Timor-Leste to ASEAN.
|- valign="top"
|||<!--Date started-->||See Timor-Leste–United States relations
thumb|right|Embassy of the United States in Dili
The United States has a large bilateral development assistance program, $20.6 million in 2007, and also contributes funds as a major member of a number of multilateral agencies such as the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank. The US Peace Corps has operated in Timor-Leste since 2002, but it suspended operations in May 2006 due to unrest and instability.
- Timor-Leste has an embassy in Washington, D.C.
- United States has an embassy in Dili.
|- valign="top"
|||<!--Date started-->28 July 2002||
Both countries established diplomatic relations on July 28, 2002.
- Vietnam has an embassy in Dili.
- Timor-Leste has an embassy in Hanoi.
|}
Multilateral relations
Association of Southeast Asian Nations
Timor-Leste was one of the only countries in Southeast Asia that was not a member of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). However, Timor-Leste expressed its intention of gaining observer status to ASEAN in July 2002 and in 2006 it was considered to take six years to join. However, Timor-Leste attended many meetings of ASEAN regardless. In 2007 Timor-Leste signed the ASEAN Treaty on Amity and Co-operation. On October 26, 2025, Timor-Leste became the 11th member state of ASEAN with the signing of the Declaration on the Admission of Timor-Leste into ASEAN.
See also
- Foreign aid to Timor-Leste
- List of diplomatic missions in Timor-Leste
- List of diplomatic missions of Timor-Leste
Literature
References
External links
- Timor-Leste Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Australian Embassy in Timor-Leste
- Embassy of Brazil in Dili