His Excellency António de Sá Benevides, Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste to the Republic of Korea, attended the Closing Ceremony of the Capacity Building Program for Industry Officials on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Development in Timor-Leste ('26–'28), organized by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) in partnership with the INNOBIZ Association.
The ceremony was held at the KOICA International Cooperation Center, Room 206, and marked the conclusion of the two-week training program, conducted from 9 to 22 August 2026.
In his remarks, Ambassador Benevides extended his congratulations to all the participants from Timor-Leste on the successful completion of the program. He conveyed his profound appreciation to KOICA and the INNOBIZ Association for their support in strengthening the development of Timor-Leste's human resource capacity.
The Ambassador underscored that the Republic of Korea's remarkable journey of transformation — from a nation confronting significant development challenges to becoming one of the world's leading industrial and technological powers — offers valuable lessons for Timor-Leste, particularly in the country's ongoing process of nation-building and economic diversification. He encouraged the participants to apply the knowledge acquired within their respective institutions in order to strengthen the private sector, promote investment and trade, and support industrial development in Timor-Leste.
He further called upon the participants to become "ambassadors of knowledge and cooperation" by sharing their experience with colleagues and institutions, thereby further strengthening the bridge of cooperation between Timor-Leste and the Republic of Korea.
Concluding his remarks, Ambassador Benevides expressed his sincere hope that the friendship and cooperation between the two countries would continue to grow from strength to strength, closing with a message in Tetum: "Obrigado, Oen ka'er barak."
