Dili, 25 May 2026: Following a high-level courtesy visit to H.E. José Ramos-Horta, President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, the ERIA School of Government convened a strategic co-ordination meeting at the Presidential Palace (Palácio Presidencial Nicolau Lobato).

The planning session was facilitated by H.E. Roberto Sarmento de Oliveira Soares, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste to the Republic of Indonesia; Nelson Santos, Foreign Affairs Advisor to the President of Timor-Leste; and Paulo da Cruz Araujo, International Relations Advisor to the President of Timor-Leste. Discussions focused on preparations for the upcoming fourth ERIA School of Government Leadership Lecture Series in Jakarta.

Prof. Nobuhiro Aizawa, Dean and Managing Director of the ERIA School of Government, expressed his appreciation for the continued support provided by the Ambassador and the Office of the President. He highlighted the close relationship between peace, security, and regional development, and noted that the lecture series would serve as a platform to preserve and share important institutional and historical reflections from President Ramos-Horta’s leadership experience.

Both parties reaffirmed the significance of the upcoming lecture in providing strategic insights into peacebuilding, reconciliation, and regional co-operation in Southeast Asia. The discussion also underscored the importance of strengthening institutional confidence and advancing the ERIA School of Government’s mission to promote regional dialogue, leadership, and co-operation.