site.btaEast Timor President: My Country Is Oasis of Calm, Free from Political, Ethnic, Religious Violence
The President of East Timor, Jose Ramos-Horta, who was a speaker at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here on Tuesday, said that his country is an oasis of calm, free from political, ethnic or religious violence. He specified that while political tensions do exist, they are mostly present in Parliament and social media.
Ramos-Horta said that there is no organized crime in the island state, and very few violent incidents occur. He reported that his country ranked 10th in freedom of speech in 2023, leaving behind countries like France and the UK.
The President said that while he has been in most European states, this was his first visit to Bulgaria, which he praised for its rich history and beautiful Orthodox churches.
Earlier Tuesday, the President of East Timor met with his Bulgarian counterpart, Rumen Radev. The two discussed potential future cooperation between the two countries in the fields of medicine and pharmacy. Ramos-Horta reported that Timor-Leste has a shortage of medical professionals and could benefit from an exchange of healthcare experts, dentists, cardiologists, and surgeons. The country has also been developing doctoral degrees over the past few years, however, most of its medical experts still earn their degrees in Indonesia, Portugal, Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand. Ramos-Horta reported that while 20 years ago, the country had only one university, today, there are nearly 20 that educate some 60,000 students.
Speaking about the European Union, Ramos-Horta stated that it is not a military bloc but an economic union. He added that the EU builds bridges, that it does not seek conflict or war. He added that the EU is based on mutual respect, mutual assistance, trade and economic ties.
/RY/
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