Timor-Leste looks up to PH's guidance in charting roadmap to excellence
Timor-Leste is seeing the Philippines in a "brotherly" figure as the new independent Southeast Asian country is charting its own roadmap for excellence.
Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta said his country is being "guided" by the Philippines in terms of which path to follow because of the latter's "extraordinarily rich experience."
Ramos-Horta also cited the country's current peace and stability and lauded the investors' trust and confidence it has "in a world situation that is not very conducive to economic growth."

"Let's expand, upgrade the relationship between our two countries. We are newer, only 21 years since the restoration of independence. [The] Philippines is over 100 years, almost 200 million people, with extraordinarily rich experience," he said in a joint press statement with President Marcos on Friday, Nov. 10.
"So we are guided by you, [by] your, I wouldn't say fatherly sympathy, because I'm older than you, so difficult to say fatherly. I would say brotherly, fraternal support for me," he added.
Ramos-Horta said there is "plenty of room" for the Philippines to participate in Timor-Leste's efforts to improve its economy and the living standards of its people.
That can be done through Timor-Leste's human resources, students, diplomats and health officials, among others, who are coming to the Philippines to upgrade their knowledge.
The Timor-Leste leader thanked Marcos for his support for his country's bid to become a full-pledged member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as Timor-Leste is the remaining country in the region that is still not part of the bloc.
"Thank you for the support you have provided us, given to us, in our ASEAN membership application, and supporting capacity building as we endeavor to meet to implement the roadmap in the shortest possible time," he said.
"We have set for ourselves 2025 as ideal for us to join ASEAN, but obviously that subject to agreement on the ASEAN countries. This means only we force on ourselves to work harder in implementing the roadmap," he added.