Jakarta, 17 July 2023:  The Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) was pleased to welcome a ten-member delegation of Timor-Leste officials to its office on 17 July. The visit, organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic Indonesia, was aimed to familiarise Timor-Leste officials with ERIA’s work and the work of a wide range of Jakarta-based organisations. The delegates came from the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Transport and Telecommunication, Ministry of Agriculture, TradeInvest, and the National Institute for Labour Development in Timor-Leste.

Mr Koji Hachiyama, Chief Operating Officer of ERIA, opened the visit by extending his warm welcome to the delegation and gave a brief overview of ERIA’s missions and contributions. Key ERIA researchers, including Dr Joko Purwanto (energy), Dr Dionisius Narjoko (economic research) Dr Masanori Kozono (agriculture), and Mr Ikuno Isono (ASEAN connectivity), delivered presentations about their respective fields. Moreover, Mr Salvador Buban, Senior Policy Fellow from the Policy Design Department, and Mr Jeremy Gross, the Director of Capacity Building Programme then provided overviews of their departments’ work.

The visit continued with an open discussion facilitated by ERIA Economist Dr Doan Thi Thanh Ha, exploring responses to questions by participants such as Timor-Leste’s preparations to join ASEAN, priority sectors, strategies to catch up with other ASEAN Member States, and the significance of networking with key players such as think tanks and international organisations.

ERIA encouraged the officials to leverage the momentum of joining ASEAN to foster the country’s development by identifying and maximising the economic strengths of Timor-Leste.

The closing remarks were delivered by Dr Intan Murnira Ramli, ERIA Senior Policy Fellow, who highlighted the importance of creating a transparent and conducive environment to facilitate business creation and investment in Timor-Leste. The visit concluded with an office tour, assisted by Ms Tyagita Silka Hapsari, ERIA’s Communication Supervisor.