On 17 February 2020 the Devawongse Varopakarn Institute of Foreign Affairs (DVIFA) held the opening ceremony for the Training Course in Preparation for Inter - Ministerial Technical Working Group for ASEAN Application for 13 officials who are members of the Inter - Ministerial Technical Working Group for the ASEAN Accession of Timor-Leste. The program will be held between 17 and 21 February 2020 with the main objectives of enhancing knowledge and experience of the Timorese counterparts with regard to ASEAN Community Building and the ASEAN Economic Community, and to help with Timor-Leste’s preparation for the upcoming assessment by the ASEAN Economic Community Fact-Finding Mission (AEC FFM).

          After the report on the training course given by Ms. Lada Phumas, Director of the DVIFA, His Excellency Mr. Soonthorn Chaiyindeepum, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, presided over the opening ceremony and delivered a speech. One of the key points made in Mr. Soonthorn’s opening remarks concerned the 18 years of Thai-Timorese bilateral relations, which are cordial and growing, as Thailand has played a crucial role in Timor-Leste's nation building process. The two countries have concluded the Memorandum of Understanding on Economic and Technical Cooperation, which serves as a basis for mutual cooperation in three areas, namely agriculture, health and education. At the present time, Thailand and Timor-Leste are in the third phase of the Three Year Development Program, which was adopted to help the Timorese side to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) by sharing Thailand’s development model of Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP).  

          Mrs. Milena Rangel, Director-General for ASEAN Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Timor-Leste, and head of the delegation, then expressed her gratitude to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand for having organized the training course. She emphasized that Timorese accession to ASEAN has become a part of the national agenda since the country gained independence: the country has always shown its strong determination in pursuit of this goal, which has been continuously supported by Thailand. 

          The Training Course in Preparation for Inter - Ministerial Technical Working Group for ASEAN Application came into being as a result of the last year’s official visit in September of a delegation of the ASEAN Political Security Community Fact-Finding Mission (APSC FFM) to Timor-Leste, led by Her Excellency Mrs. Busaya Mathelin, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand. During the course, the participants will learn about the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), core AEC legal instruments and their implementation with dialogue partners of ASEAN, Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), Thailand’s experiences of the AEC, in particular Thailand’s overall organizational structure for the implementation of AEC commitments and engagement with the private sector and relevant stakeholders. Trade negotiations skills and insights into Thailand’s 2019 ASEAN Chairmanship also will be provided for the participants. Speakers, who have technical expertise or extensive experience of ASEAN affairs from both the ASEAN Secretariat and relevant Thai agencies have been invited to share their knowledge and experience with the participants.