𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐫-𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞’𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐃𝐁–𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐮𝐦 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

Bangkok, Thailand, 12 May 2026 - Nino Pereira, Minister of Commerce and Industry of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, delivered a Special Statement during the Opening Plenary Session of the ADB–World Bank Trade Forum 2026 held at the Kempinski Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand.

The Forum, organized by the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank in collaboration with IMD Business School and the Paris School of Economics, was held under the theme: “𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘺 in 𝘢 𝘍𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥: 𝘈𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘔𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘮.”

In his remarks, H.E. the Minister emphasized that the current global trading environment continues to face significant challenges due to policy uncertainty, industrial policy measures, and geopolitical tensions. He underlined the importance of cooperation, predictability, and a rules-based multilateral trading system.

H.E. the Minister also highlighted Timor-Leste’s historic accession to the World Trade Organization in 2024 and its admission as a full member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2025 as major milestones toward deeper regional and global economic integration.

Furthermore, the Minister reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to aligning national policies and legal frameworks with regional commitments, while promoting economic diversification, trade facilitation, regulatory coherence, institutional capacity building, and inclusive economic growth.

In closing, H.E. the Minister Nino Pereira, reaffirmed Timor-Leste’s readiness to strengthen cooperation with international partners, including the ADB and the World Bank, to support a more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable regional and global trading system.