Denpasar and Timor-Leste explore creative economy and tourism collaboration

The Denpasar city government has begun exploring cooperation opportunities with the Government of Timor-Leste in various strategic sectors, ranging from the creative economy, tourism, and trade to culture and education. The exploration emerged when Denpasar Deputy Mayor I Kadek Agus Arya Wibawa received a working visit from the Trade and Industry Attaché of the Consulate General of Timor-Leste in Denpasar, Apolo Justino Franca da Silva, at the Mayor’s Office on Tuesday. Deputy Mayor Arya Wibawa stated that the Denpasar city government continues to open up opportunities for collaboration with various cities and countries as part of efforts to strengthen regional development through international networks. He expressed hope that the exploration with the Timor-Leste government could progress to a more concrete stage, particularly in the creative economy, business, culture, and education sectors, which have significant potential for joint development. ‘Currently, the Denpasar city government is indeed focusing on exploring cooperation with many parties and cities around the world as a step towards developing Denpasar City,’ said Arya Wibawa. Meanwhile, Trade and Industry Attaché Apolo Justino Franca da Silva appreciated the warm welcome from the Denpasar city government and the commitment to building mutually beneficial cooperative relations. He expressed optimism that the discussions held during the meeting could serve as a starting point for reaching agreements in various fields, while also opening up broader collaboration opportunities in the future. ‘Thank you for the extraordinary welcome from the Deputy Mayor of Denpasar. We appreciate the steps taken by the Denpasar city government in planning cooperation with our country,’ said Apolo. He added that his party hopes communication and coordination between the two sides will continue so that the cooperation being initiated can provide real benefits for the people of both Denpasar and Timor-Leste. The meeting was also attended by Assistant Trade and Industry Attaché Ricardo de Araujo and local staff member Theresia Nur Hayati. During the session, both parties discussed various potential collaborations deemed capable of delivering benefits to Denpasar and Timor-Leste.