Timor-Leste President José Ramos-Horta yesterday expressed optimism about greater cooperation between Bangladesh and his country in the coming days to develop economic and trade relations.

“We can import more from Bangladesh,” he said at a joint press conference at the Chief Adviser’s office after the bilateral meeting with Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus.

The President of Timor-Leste also invited Bangladeshi companies to his country to explore opportunities there.

He urged Bangladeshi companies to invest in his country.

Ramos-Horta said: “We welcome Bangladeshi companies to come to Timor-Leste. By next year, we will join ASEAN and be part of a region of 700 million people.

With ASEAN membership, Timor-Leste will join an economic zone with a GDP of more than $4 trillion, he added.

The Timor-Leste president hoped that Bangladesh would be a development partner of his country.

Previously, Yunus and Ramos-Horta had “fruitful discussions” and shared their ideas to take relations between the two countries to a new level.

They witnessed the signing of two instruments – a memorandum of understanding on the bilateral consultations mechanism and an agreement on visa waiver for holders of diplomatic and official passports – aimed at further strengthening their relations.

The two leaders had a tête-à-tête which was followed by a delegation-level meeting.

Ramos-Horta said Nobel Peace Prize winner Professor Yunus is one of the most respected leaders in the world, comparing Bangladesh’s senior advisor to world leaders such as Nelson Mandela, John F. Kennedy, Mahatma Gandhi, Fidel Castro and Che Guevara.

“Bangladesh is therefore very fortunate to have such a modest and humble person at its helm… who is working with you to transform the country,” he said.

Stating that Bangladesh and Timor-Leste have a similar history of suffering, the Timor-Leste President said the people of Bangladesh are resilient, hardworking, creative and prosperous.

He described Professor Yunus as his brother, friend and mentor and thanked the Bangladesh government for welcoming him.

Ramos-Horta was elected president in May 2022. He previously served as president from 2007 to 2012, during which time he was shot and killed in an assassination attempt.

He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996, alongside Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo, for his work for peace in East Timor.

Praising the leadership of Professor Yunus, Ramos-Horta said this country has a great future. “Thank you for having me. I’m very, very honored,” he said.

Earlier in the morning, Foreign Affairs Advisor Md Touhid Hossain met the visiting President and discussed issues of mutual interest.

The meeting, held at a hotel in the city, discussed ways to deepen relations between the two countries.

Ramos-Horta received a red carpet treatment on Saturday evening upon his arrival here for a four-day official visit. The CA welcomed him at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on his arrival around 10:40 p.m.

President Ramos-Horta is accompanied by a 19-member delegation, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Timor-Leste.

Today, Ramos-Horta will visit the President of Bangladesh in Bangabhaban.

He will also visit the National Martyrs’ Memorial in Savar to pay homage to the heroes of the Bangladesh Liberation War.

The President will attend the 54th Victory Day celebrations, marking Bangladesh’s historic victory in 1971.

On his last day, December 17, the President of Timor-Leste will deliver a lecture at the auditorium of the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) on “Challenges to Peace in the Contemporary World” .

He is expected to interact with Bangladeshi students and young leaders, sharing his experiences of leading his country’s independence movement, the role of the people and Timor-Leste’s post-independence aspirations.

President Ramos-Horta will leave Dhaka later today, concluding his visit aimed at strengthening diplomatic and cultural relations between Bangladesh and Timor-Leste.