In Jakarta, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the opening of India’s embassy in Dili, Timor-Leste, while addressing the ASEAN-India Summit in Jakarta.
Dili is the capital city of Timor-Leste, or East Timor, on the country's north coast. The city holds importance as it recalls the nation's struggles for independence from Portugal as well as Indonesia.
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. An MOU formally establishing diplomatic relations was signed on 24 January 2003.