UAE is a beacon of peaceful coexistence, says Timor-Leste President

Hamad Al Kaabi, Mohammad Ghazal (ABU DHABI) - On his first official visit to the UAE, and his first-ever visit to Abu Dhabi, President José Ramos-Horta of Timor-Leste spoke with Aletihad in an exclusive interview in which he discussed his views on bilateral cooperation, his expectations for COP28, and his ambitions for a future of tolerance and coexistence.

Commending the UAE for its pioneering model of economic development, President Ramos-Horta said, "I hope that we can learn from and emulate your United Arab Emirates example of how to transform a country from poverty to a very dynamic, diversified economy." He also commented on his aspiration to market his country as an investment destination, noting that his focus is to continue building the country's infrastructure, strengthening renewable energy capacity, and bolstering the tourism sector. 

"Sometimes, leadership is when you turn a challenge, or a crisis, into an opportunity," said President José Ramos-Horta of Timor-Leste in an exclusive interview with Aletihad on his first official visit to the UAE, and his first ever visit to Abu Dhabi.

"I have been very familiar with the UAE for a long time, and have been a big admirer of the quality of the leadership and how they transformed what was less than half a century ago a village into how advanced the UAE is today," President Ramos-Horta said. 

With a visionary economic strategy and unwavering encouragement of innovation, the UAE leadership reshaped the country into a place of prosperity and international prestige, the Timorese President noted. 

"That exceptional visionary leadership transformed this country into a very good place for the Emirati people in terms of education, prosperity, safety tranquility, equality, opportunities, equal opportunity for women. [This is also true] for the millions of non-Emiratis who depend on the country, and the many millions more who in times of crisis, natural disasters, and conflict, received a prompt extension of friendship and solidarity from the UAE leaders," President Ramos-Horta said. "I hope that we can learn from and emulate your United Arab Emirates example of how to transform a country from poverty to a very dynamic, diversified economy."

Investment Cooperation

"We are ready to support whether to speak with one voice with the UAE in terms of climate change, or in terms of overseas development assistance for LDCs (Least Developed Countries) and poorer countries. But also, we would very much like to mobilise the private sectors in Dubai and Abu Dhabi to invest in Timor-Leste," the Timorese President said. He mentioned that his country is seeking increased partnership with the UAE government in many areas, including diplomatic and political consultation, and support in multilateral and regional forums. 

Earlier in the week, President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed met with President Ramos-Horta to discuss expanding cooperation in various sectors, with a particular focus on economic, trade, and investment cooperation.  "His Highness, is, it's almost cliche to say, a man of wisdom and incredible intelligence. Obviously, if you look at Abu Dhabi, it has to be some genius who did this, but a genius with a great heart," President Ramos-Horta said. 

In the meeting with the UAE President, the two leaders discussed mechanisms for continuing to build Timorese infrastructure. "That's why I came to the trade and investment conference organised by the government...to market the country as a potential investor destination. We need to continue building infrastructure for the country's roads…renewable energy, and the tourism sector. We need investment, or PPP (Public-Private Partnerships) for the tourism sector. That's what we have come to discuss with His Highness the President, and other ministers."

He added that his government has made tremendous efforts in the last 20 years to build infrastructure in the country's mountainous terrain and invest in the young nation's educational system. 

"We still have a lot of work to do in terms of connectivity, and trade connectivity between towns and villages. We also need more investment on our side in building schools. We have so many children; it's more or less the one of the youngest countries in the world, with 60% of people under the age of 30 and 50% under age 20."

Regarding his vision for potential investments, the Timorese President said: "This means education, education, education. It means nutrition, food security, clean water, and health care. We need to build more hospitals…and more hospitals for rural areas." 

President Ramos-Horta expressed that in coming to the UAE, his country is not looking for donations or grants, but for investments. 

Inspired by the UAE's commitment to investing in education, President Ramos-Horta mentioned that he would discuss the matter with the Timorese Prime Minister in their 2024 national budget preparations. 

Coexistence and Tolerance

Turning to his thoughts on peace and coexistence, President Ramos-Horta, a 1996 Nobel Peace Prize winner himself, noted that "The UAE is an example and a role model when it comes to a country that enjoys fraternity and coexistence". 

The Timorese President explained that much of the work in his own country has been towards national reconciliation, efforts which he said have witnessed much progress and success in recent years. "We [in Timor-Leste] have made tremendous progress in our country. We have a zero political violence, zero ethnic based or religious based tensions or violence," he added.

The UAE is a "great and amazing example in this regard," he added. "I don't know where in the world this would work anywhere else, because you have a population of 10 million, you have 8 million foreigners representing 200 nationalities. There are many people who inhabit the country, and everybody feels that they belong to it, that they have something at stake. They feel welcome."

In the Timorese President's experience, "refugees, migrants, and immigrants build countries". "We need each other. And so, one thing I learned from the United Arab Emirates is this, the generosity, and the wisdom to make use of the skills and the knowledge of others."

Global Peace

Regarding ongoing global conflicts, the Timorese President noted that auccessful diplomacy, conflict prevention, conflict resolution is not always achieved by major powers, and called for a more inclusive and representative UN Security Council. 

He also commented on the ongoing conflict in the region, stating: "We have also the war in Gaza with one of the most diverse retaliatory punitive actions, taken by in this case Israel, on a people that have suffered, and have been humiliated and neglected for decades. The conflict in Gaza didn't suddenly erupt, it is tensions that they knew were building over many decades, until one day, they exploded." 

He noted that the UAE is well positioned to further promote peace in the region, and remarked that several GCC countries, and prominently the UAE, have been active internationally in their efforts towards restoring stability to the conflict. 

COP28 and Climate Financing

As a Small Island Developing State per UN classifications, Timor-Leste suffers disproportionately from the ramifications of climate change compared to the country's statistically insignificant share of global CO2 emissions, which President Ramos-Horta noted measure only 0.003% of the global total. 

"Our emissions are negligible," he said, adding that with the fast approach of COP28, to be held in Dubai in November, his message during the conference will be a call to focus on climate financing. 

"With all these consequences if we don't write off the debt of poorest countries…if we don't increase ODA, how can these countries have a chance to recover? On top of all of this, we have a climate change crisis, and natural disasters all the time. So very strong financing, for climate change, and for the transition to renewable energy, we need that," President Ramos-Horta said. 

He also noted that the UAE is a good example of a nation that uses revenues from non-renewable resources to further the push for the renewable energy transition, despite its relatively low share of global emissions. 

Among his main concerns regarding the repercussions of climate change is child malnutrition, food security, and access to clean water. He noted that Timor-Leste is considered water stressed, with only 1% existing fresh water from wells considered potable. Solutions to this issue that the Timorese President mentioned include desalinisation and technology to capture water from clouds, "but it requires a lot of investment," he concluded.