Dili, 6/11/2012—The Anti-Corruption Commissioner Adérito de Jesus Soares meets with the Minister for Foreign Affairs Jose Luis Guterres and discuss the plan about Timor-Leste to host the ADB/OECD Anti-Corruption Initiative for Asia and the Pacific regional conference in Dili next year. The meeting took place this morning at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and was accompanied by CAC’s Director for Prevention Abrão Freitas and MFA’s Director for Multilateral Division Milena Rangel.
The acceptance of Timor-Leste to host this regional conference was made during the ADB/OECD’s 11th Regional Seminar on Tracing Illicit Flows, Asset Recovery and Asset Disclosure this last late October in Hanoi, Vietname. The proposal was presented by Commissioner Adérito Soares and was unanimously welcomed by ADB/OEDC Secretariat and participants from the Asia Pacific region, including China, South Korea and India.
The proposal of CAC Commissioner in that regional meeting, according to Minister Guterres, demonstrates Timor-Leste’s self-assurance and great commitment and it is also a prevailing diplomacy in building and boosting international community’s confidence on Timor-Leste that the country is able to organize such international event.
Timor-Leste became official member of the ADB/OECD Anti-Corruption Initiative for Asia and the Pacific in 2011 together with the Solomon Island. In 2010, both countries were invited as observers.
The regional conference is scheduled to take place in June or July 2013. Final confirmation about the calendar will be determined by Secretariat. It is expected that more than 50 people from the Asia Pacific region will attend this conference.