Just five countries in Southeast Asia - Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand – currently have embassies in Timor-Leste.

In a four-day trip reaffirming the warm and longstanding relations with Dili, Balakrishnan also said more support would be given to help Timor-Leste join ASEAN (Association of South-east Asian Nations) and move the country to its “next phase of development.”

“As they continue to develop as a country and as a nation, especially as they join ASEAN we believe this is the time to establish a resident embassy to be the focal point for our cooperation, for our support and for the mutual exploration of opportunities in the future,”  Balakrishnan told a news conference with his Timor-Leste counterpart Bendito dos Santos Freitas in Dili.

Balakrishnan told media he was not sure when or where the facility would open.

At the time, Balakrishnana said investments in tourism, defence and energy with Timor-Leste would deepen with the appointment. Timor-Leste has a growing Singaporean business community.

The media conference came after Balakrishnan’s meeting with Timor-Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, President Jose-Ramos Horta, and Freitas on Monday morning.

The planned move to open the new embassy was welcomed by Timorese leaders.

Ramos-Horta noted on social media that no foreign minister of “any county has cared to stay this long among us.

“Thank you President Halimah Yacob, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Thank you Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan,” he said.