Minister of Commerce and Industry serves as inspector in the flag-raising ceremony for the Commemoration of the 50th National Day of the Proclamation of RDTL Independence

Covalima, November 28, 2025

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Proclamation of Independence of Timor-Leste on November 28, 2025.

The Minister of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Nino Pereira, added in his speech the priority points that were included in the President of the Republic's address regarding the commemoration of the Unilateral Proclamation of RDTL Independence in 2025.

Today we celebrate a date that has become the very breath of our national identity: the 50th Anniversary of the Unilateral Proclamation of Independence of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste.

It is not just a date on the calendar; it is the living echo of the courage, the memory, and the unbreakable spirit of a people who, even in the darkest hours, never lost faith and did not let hope die.

Fifty years ago, I was part of a small group of young dreamers, most of us without completed university studies, many of us were "dropouts," but all were driven by something greater than academic knowledge: the strong conviction that Timor-Leste deserved to be free. We did not have diplomas, but we had the courage to imagine the impossible.

During the flag-raising ceremony, the Minister of Commerce and Industry also inspected the parade to directly observe the formation.