This is an archive article published on January 9, 2024
Vibrant Gujarat summit: Heads of state begin to arrive; PM Modi meets Timor-Leste President José Ramos-Horta
Timor-Leste President José Ramos-Horta sought support from India in meeting its development priorities, particularly in areas of healthcare and capacity building in IT.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with Timor-Leste President José Ramos-Horta in Gandhinagar on Tuesday, a day before the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit (VGSS) kicks off in the state. Horta was the first head of state to arrive in Ahmedabad for the summit.
PM Modi offered assistance to Timor-Leste in capacity building, human resource development, IT, fintech, energy and healthcare, including traditional medicine and pharma. He also invited Timor-Leste to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), a government statement said.
Horta expressed “strong support for India’s permanent membership of the UN Security Council”, the statement said.
PM Modi offered assistance to Timor-Leste in capacity building, human resource development, IT, fintech, energy and healthcare, including traditional medicine and pharma. (Express Photo)
While Modi congratulated Horta for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN’s) in-principle decision to admit Timor-Leste as its eleventh member and expressed hope for its attainment of full membership soon, Horta sought support from India in meeting its development priorities, particularly in the areas of healthcare and capacity building in IT.
The two leaders also discussed regional issues and developments in the Indo-Pacific.
India was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic ties with Timor-Leste in 2002 after it became independent.
PM Modi took to X, formerly Twitter, to announce that he “had an excellent meeting” with Ramos-Horta at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar.
Had an excellent meeting with President @JoseRamosHorta1 of Timor-Leste. The fact that our meeting is taking place in Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar, makes this meeting even more special considering Gandhi Ji’s influence on President Horta’s life and work. We discussed ways to… pic.twitter.com/RYmCKKKyhm
He added that the meeting venue was “even more special considering Gandhiji’s influence on President Horta’s life and work.”
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India was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic ties with Timor-Leste in 2002 after it became independent. (Express Photo)
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel welcomed Ramos-Horta at the airport. In a post on X, Patel said he offered “Gujarat’s expertise and support to Timor-Leste in port-led development as well as other sectors, providing valuable insights and support to assist the country in its journey towards growth and development.”
Meanwhile, Mozambique President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi also landed in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. Among the other heads of state due to attend the summit is Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Abu Dhabi, who will hold a 3-kilometre roadshow on Tuesday along with PM Modi from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport to Indira bridge in Ahmedabad city.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel welcomed Ramos-Horta at the airport. (Express Photo)
About Timor-Leste-India relations
A Nobel Peace Prize laureate, President Ramos-Horta is the second president of Timor-Leste, which only became independent in 2002 from the Indonesian occupation. Ramos-Horta was elected President for a second term in April 2022. Timor-Leste and India had officially first established diplomatic relations in 2003 with an MoU signing, and in September 2023, the Ministry of External Affairs had announced that at the ASEAN-India Summit in Jakarta, PM Modi announced a decision to establish an Indian Embassy in Dili, Timor-Leste. Timor-Leste joined ASEAN in 2022 as an observer before becoming its full member. Timor-Leste is a first-time partner country for VGGS 2024.
Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court
Professional Profile
Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express.
Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare).
Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others.
She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020.
With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles:
High-Profile Case Coverage
She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy.
Signature Style
Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system.
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PM Modi offered assistance to Timor-Leste in capacity building, human resource development, IT, fintech, energy and healthcare, including traditional medicine and pharma. (Express Photo)
India was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic ties with Timor-Leste in 2002 after it became independent. (Express Photo)
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel welcomed Ramos-Horta at the airport. (Express Photo)
