The Swedish government decided 10 July to contribute SEK 10 Million in budget support to Timor-Leste. Sweden has given support to Timor-Leste since 1997, primarily for the reconstruction of the administration and as humanitarian support via the UN.
The overall objective of Swedish development cooperation with Timor-Leste is to help the country’s own efforts to fight poverty by securing peace and stability, supporting democracy and respect for human rights and strengthening economic development. The country became independent from Indonesia on 20 May 2002 and is one of the world’s poorest countries.
Sweden’s extensive relations with Timor-Leste partly originate from the fact that Indonesia’s occupation of the former Portuguese colony from 1975 was never recognised by Sweden. After Indonesia declared that the future of Timor-Leste would be decided in a referendum 1999, Sweden became rapidly involved and sent both civil police and election observers.
