11/10/2025
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓, 𝐌𝐀𝐄: 𝐁𝐔𝐈𝐋𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐄, 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐁𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐂𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍
Covalima, October 9, 2025
Minister of State Administration (MAE), Tomás Do Rosário Cabral, along with the Secretary of State for Arts and Culture (SEAK), the Deputy Minister of Public Works (MOP), Julio do Carmo, the Secretary of State for Local Development (SEDL), Mateus Talo, and the Executive Director of Centro Chega! IP, Hugo Maria Fernandes, the Board President of Centro Chega!IP, Manuel Pereira and members, local authorities from Baucau, Manatuto, Liquiçá, Ainaro, Lautem, and delegations from NTT-Indonesia, opened the Border Festival 2025 “Cultural Exchange to Strengthen Reconciliation” in Covalima Municipality. The festival, held from September 9 to 13, featured sports, cultural dialogue, reconciliation activities, seminars, artistic performances, and a local product fair.
In his opening remarks, Minister of State Administration Tomás Do Rosário Cabral expressed his appreciation for organizing the Border Festival 2025 in Covalima Municipality, emphasizing the importance of bringing together people from Timor-Leste and West Timor to foster peace, stability, and reconciliation.
"On behalf of the government, I express my appreciation. Together, we create peace and stability, reconciliation begins with us," said the Minister at the Ladi Suai-Covalima field.
It then continued with cultural dance performances from both Timor-Leste and West Timor, featuring participation from the local communities in Covalima Municipality, as well as accompaniment by the PNTL and F-FDTL.
