Via The Interpreter, a look at Timor Leste’s economic future: This week, Timor-Leste will celebrate its 20th anniversary as an independent nation and inaugurate Jose Ramos-Horta as its new president. Since re-gaining independence in 2002, the world’s third-youngest nation has built a functioning state and vibrant democracy from near-scratch amid trials and tribulations that would challenge any nation. Timor-Leste […]
Read more »Via The Asia Times, a report on recent elections in Timor Leste and the potential for it to turn to China for significant investment: Timor-Leste’s relations with China could once again come under the spotlight as former Nobel Peace Prize winner Jose Ramos-Horta looks set to retake the presidency following a second-round vote on Tuesday. […]
Read more »Via Foreign Affairs, an article on East Timor: By almost any measure, Southeast Asia is thriving. The region has a population of over 600 million, brings in more foreign investment than China, and boasts a combined GDP of $2.5 trillion, larger than India’s $1.9 trillion economy. It is no wonder, then, that Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, […]
Read more »Via The Diplomat, an article on Timor Leste’s urgent efforts to diversify its economy: Since the restoration of its independence in 2002, Timor-Leste has made tremendous progress in social capital (education and health), infrastructure (electricity and telecommunication), and in institutional frameworks such as security, defense and foreign affairs. To cite some figures, in the health […]
Read more »Via Future Directions International, an article on how, aAlthough the Australia and Timor-Leste Maritime Boundary Agreement has been ratified, the development of the Greater Sunrise hydrocarbon field remains just a “pipe dream”: Key Points The Greater Sunrise hydrocarbon field straddles an international maritime boundary between Australia and Timor-Leste, which was delimited via the process of […]
Read more »Via Asia Nikkei, commentary on how East Timor went from democratic success to failed petro-state: “Like Bali before the tourism boom.” That is how I described East Timor — a young country brimming with hope — when I first arrived there to work as a correspondent in 2009. The factional violence of 2006-2008 had finally ended and […]
Read more »