India dispatches consignment of rabies vaccine, immunoglobulin to Timor Leste

New Delhi, Nov 3 India has dispatched a consignment of 10,000 doses of rabies vaccine and 2,000 vials of rabies immunoglobulin to Timor Leste, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Monday.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal expressed India's commitment to being a trusted health partner and reliable 'First Responder' to the Global South.

"India has dispatched an urgent consignment of 10,000 doses of rabies vaccine and 2,000 vials of rabies immunoglobulin to Timor Leste, to assist in combating an outbreak. India remains committed to being a trusted health partner and reliable First Responder to the Global South," Jaiswal stated in a post on X.

Notably, India and Timor-Leste enjoy warm and friendly relations based on shared commitment to the values of democracy, pluralism and diversity. India was one of the early countries to establish diplomatic relations with Timor-Leste and was represented at its Independence Day celebrations in May 2002 by a high-level delegation led by the then-Minister of State for External Affairs Omar Abdullah.

Last week, Timor-Leste became the 11th member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) during the 47th ASEAN Summit in Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur.

Timor-Leste applied for ASEAN membership in 2011. In 2022, the group's leaders agreed in principle to include Timor-Leste as a member state, granting it Observer Status in ASEAN meetings. This was followed by the adoption of the Roadmap for Timor-Leste’s Full Membership in 2023, which guided its preparations to meet ASEAN’s membership criteria, including accession to ASEAN legal instruments and participation in meetings across all three ASEAN Community pillars.

In a statement, ASEAN stated, "In a historic occasion for the region, the Signing of the Declaration on the Admission of Timor-Leste into ASEAN took place at the Opening Ceremony of the 47th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits, held on 26 October 2025. The Declaration was signed by ASEAN Leaders together with the Prime Minister of Timor-Leste, marking the ASEAN Leaders’ consent to accept Timor-Leste as the 11th Member State of ASEAN. This achievement is the result of years of close cooperation between ASEAN and Timor-Leste."

Timor-Leste's Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao joined the ASEAN leaders for the signing of documents confirming the nation's inclusion in the bloc. The leaders then posed for a family picture. This is the first expansion in the group since 1999.

Earlier in July, Timor-Leste's Ambassador to India Karlito Nunes presented his Letters of credentials to President Droupadi Murmu during a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan. During a courtesy call that followed the credential ceremony, President Murmu welcomed Karlito Nunes and congratulated on his assumption of duties as Timor-Leste's Ambassador to India.

President Murmu appreciated Timor-Leste’s gesture of showing solidarity with India following the heinous April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. She also stated that India and Timor-Leste have ample opportunities to strengthen bilateral cooperation in areas like IT, fintech, healthcare, agriculture, and capacity building. President Murmu assured that India will remain a steadfast partner of Timor-Leste and will do everything possible to enhance the development cooperation and other partnerships.

In response, Karlito Nunes conveyed warm greetings from Timor-Leste President J Ramos-Horta, Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, and people of Timor-Leste to President Murmu, the Government and the people of India. He reaffirmed Timor-Leste's strong condemnation of terrorist attack in Pahalgam and expressed strong support for India's global campaigning against terrorism.

Backing India to become a member of the United Nations Security Council, the Timor-Leste envoy also reaffirmed his nation's commitment to strengthening the bilateral relations.

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