Timor-Leste President Francisco Guterres Lu-Olo has called for his country to make exploitation of the sea a national economic strategy, Lusa reports.
Speaking at the opening of an international conference in Díli, Mr Lu-Olo said Timor-Leste had much potential to develop its shipping, shipbuilding and repair, boatbuilding and tourism industries, the Portuguese news agency says.
A written statement issued by the government of Timor-Leste says the two-day conference is due to end today, after hearing a lecture by World Maritime University Vice-president (International) Shuo Ma on the importance of deep-water ports in the Chinese New Silk Road project.
On the first day of the conference Portuguese academic Heitor Barras Romana gave a presentation on the geopolitics of the sea, the Timor-Leste government says.
