Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Dionísio da Costa Babo Soares

Dionísio da Costa Babo Soares

Structure of the VIII Constitutional GovernmentMinister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Dionísio da Costa Babo Soares

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation is the government department responsible for designing, implementing, coordinating and evaluating the policy, defined and approved by the Council of Ministers, in the areas of foreign policy and international cooperation, consular functions and the promotion and defense of interests of Timorese citizens abroad, including: planning, proposing and implementing Timor-Leste's foreign policy and ensuring its unity and coherence;

to prepare legislative and regulatory projects in its respective areas of responsibility;

to negotiate and propose the conclusion of international treaties and agreements in accordance with the priorities of Timor-Leste's foreign policy, without prejudice to the competence of other organs in relation to border delimitation;

to promote the interests of Timor-Leste abroad and ensure the protection of Timorese citizens abroad; to ensure representation of Timor-Leste in other States and International Organizations and manage the network of embassies, missions, permanent and temporary representations and consular posts, in accordance with foreign policy priorities;

to plan and carry out the preparation for the accession of Timor-Leste to the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and to ensure representation of the country in its meetings and activities; to coordinate Timor-Leste's participation in the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) and ensure representation of the country in its meetings and activities;

to centralize and coordinate the relations of any public entities with diplomatic or consular missions, international organizations and representatives of accredited cooperation services in Timor-Leste;

to propose and implement international cooperation policy, in coordination with the Ministry of Finance and other relevant governmental institutions;

to coordinate, together with the Ministry of Finance and other relevant government departments, Timor-Leste's relations with development partners;

to carry out the functions assigned to it in matters relating to economic diplomacy; to exercise the functions of National Authorizing Officer;

to establish mechanisms for cooperation with foreign missions established in the country;

to establish mechanisms of collaboration and coordination with other government bodies with guardianship over related areas of activity.

Under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation are: ACTL-Timor-Leste Cooperation Agency; Institute of Diplomatic Studies; Mission Unit for Integrated Regional Development - TIA.