East_Timor–Philippines_relations
East Timor–Philippines relations
Bilateral relations
East Timor–Philippines relations refer to foreign relations between East Timor and the Philippines. The Philippines was actively involved in the United Nations peacekeeping forces in East Timor during its move towards independence. When several nations recognized East Timor's sovereignty, the Philippines began official diplomatic relations between the two governments with the establishment of an embassy in Dili and East Timor established its embassy in Pasig.
The pre-colonial kingdoms of the Philippines and East Timor had relations with each other even before the Iberian powers colonized these areas. During Magellan's Circumnavigation of the World, when his ships anchored at East Timor, they found the Lucoes (People of Luzon, Philippines) settling in East Timor and trading Philippine gold for East Timorese Sandalwood.[1]
Since then, the Philippines has maintained strong ties with the newly born independent country sending peacekeepers to the country since 1999 [citation needed] amid its struggle for independence from Indonesia. Both nations were conquered by the Iberian powers, mainly by Spain and Portugal, in the 16th century and later by emerging powers, mainly by the United States and Indonesia, in the 20th century.
