Timor-Leste invites Indian investment in LNG, oil refining and education as both nations seek deeper economic ties following renewed diplomatic engagement, reports Asian Lite News Desk
Timor-Leste is seeking Indian investment in liquefied natural gas (LNG), oil refining and education as the Southeast Asian nation looks to strengthen economic ties with New Delhi, its ambassador to the US has said.
Ambassador Jose Luis Guterres, a former deputy prime minister and foreign minister of Timor-Leste, told IANS in an exclusive interview that energy offered major opportunities for Indian companies as the country develops its natural resources.
Timor-Leste is seeking investment in an LNG plant, refineries and a pipeline connected to the Greater Sunrise gas field, which holds an estimated five trillion cubic feet of reserves and could support around three decades of production, Guterres said.
Asked where Indian businesses could invest, the ambassador said energy was among the key sectors offering opportunities.
“All the areas. And energy is one area in which we encourage partnership from United States, from India, you know, from other countries,” Guterres said.
“We are open for business,” he added.
Guterres said the opening of Timor-Leste’s embassy in New Delhi and India’s diplomatic mission in Dili would help strengthen economic cooperation between the two countries. He also expressed hope that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would visit Timor-Leste in the future.
Relations between the two nations gained fresh momentum after President Droupadi Murmu visited Timor-Leste in 2024, becoming the first Indian head of state to travel to the country.
Describing the visit as “like a family visit”, Guterres said President Murmu was received with warmth and respect and that the trip marked a new phase in bilateral relations.
“I believe that this initiates new relations between Timor and Timor-Leste and India,” he said.
The ambassador said Timor-Leste considered India a longstanding regional partner rather than an external power.
“You are part of the region. You are not a foreigner,” he said.
Guterres also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and India’s role in supporting peace and stability across the Indo-Pacific region.
“I have a great respect of Prime Minister Modi for what he has done for India and also consolidated democracy,” he said.
He added that India and the United States, working alongside ASEAN nations, could contribute to maintaining the stable environment needed for economic growth. He said disputes between countries should be resolved through dialogue and negotiations.
Education was highlighted as another emerging area of cooperation between India and Timor-Leste. Guterres said an Indian investor had partnered with a Catholic university in Timor-Leste to strengthen medical education, while Indian students were also studying medicine in Dili.
The ambassador also pointed to coffee as another potential area for collaboration. Timor-Leste’s organic coffee is among its main exports and is already sold in markets including the United States, Australia, Japan and Germany. President Jose Ramos-Horta has also promoted Timorese coffee during a visit to India.
India and Timor-Leste established diplomatic relations in January 2003. During President Murmu’s visit in August 2024, both sides discussed cooperation in digital technology, healthcare, agriculture and capacity building.
Timor-Leste became the 11th member of ASEAN in October 2025 after applying for membership in 2011 and receiving observer status in 2022.
