Editing Timor-Leste Defence Force (section)

== Foreign defence relations ==
{{See also|Foreign relations of Timor-Leste}}
While the UN was reluctant to engage with the F-FDTL, several bilateral donors have assisted the force's development. Australia has provided extensive training and logistical support to the F-FDTL since it was established, and currently provides advisors who are posted to the F-FDTL and Ministry of Defence and Security. Portugal also provides advisors and trains two naval officers each year in Portugal. China provided US$1.8&nbsp;million in aid to the F-FDTL between 2002 and 2008 and agreed to build a new US$7&nbsp;million headquarters for the force in late 2007. Timor-Leste is one of [[Brazil]]'s main destinations for aid and the [[Brazilian Army]] is responsible for training the F-FDTL's military police unit (Maubere Mission). The United States also provides a small amount of assistance to the F-FDTL through the [[United States Department of State|State Department's]] International Military Education and Training Program. While Malaysia has provided training courses and financial and technical aid, this assistance was suspended after the 2006 crisis.<ref>International Crisis Group (2008), pp. 12–13</ref> As of 2010, Portugal provided the F-FDTL with basic and advanced training while Australia and other nations provided training in specialised skills.<ref name=US_Embassy_2010_4 /> Timor-Leste and Portugal signed a defence cooperation treaty in 2017 which will remain in force until 2022. Australian and US support for the F-FDTL had been reduced to only occasional training by 2020.{{sfn|International Institute for Strategic Studies|2020|p=317}}
[[File:Cessna 206 being handed over the F-FDTL Air Component June 2023.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Colour photo of seven people wearing a mix of military and business attire posing in front of an aircraft|American and East Timorese military personnel and officials during a ceremony to hand over a Cessna aircraft to the F-FDTL Air Component in 2023]]
Timor-Leste and Indonesia have sought to build friendly relations since 2002. While movements of people and drug smuggling across their international border has caused tensions, both countries have worked with the UN to improve the security situation in the region.<ref name="Dobbins_et_al_2013_141">Dobbins et al. (2013), p. 141</ref> The East Timorese and Indonesian governments signed a defence agreement in August 2011 which aims to improve co-operation between their national militaries. The Timor-Leste–Indonesia Defense Joint Committee was also established at this time to monitor the agreement's implementation.<ref name=Dobbins_et_al_2013_141 /><ref>{{cite news|last1=Santosa|first1=Novan Iman|title=RI, Timor Leste ink defense deals|url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/08/22/ri-timor-leste-ink-defense-deals.html|access-date=23 April 2015|work=The Jakarta Post|date=22 August 2011|archive-date=16 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016220210/http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/08/22/ri-timor-leste-ink-defense-deals.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Timor-Leste ratified the [[Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty]], [[Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention]] and [[Chemical Weapons Convention]] in 2003. The East Timorese Government has no plans to acquire nuclear, biological or chemical weapons.<ref name="Patrikainen_154">Patrikainen et al. (2011), p. 154</ref> The country also became a party to the [[Ottawa Treaty]], which bans [[anti-personnel mine]]s, in 2003.<ref>{{cite web|title=Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction|url=http://treaties.un.org/pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=XXVI-5&chapter=26&lang=en|work=United Nations Treaty Collection|publisher=United Nations|access-date=18 December 2011|archive-date=3 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210203015358/https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=XXVI-5&chapter=26&lang=en|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The East Timorese Government and F-FDTL are interested in deploying elements of the force on international peacekeeping missions. This is motivated by a desire to "give back to the international community".{{sfn|Sharland|Feely|2020|p=31}} A platoon of 12 engineers was deployed to Lebanon between February and May 2012 as an element of a Portuguese unit which was serving with the [[United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon]].{{sfn|Sharland|Feely|2020|pp=30–31}} Small numbers of F-FDTL specialists have been posted to the [[United Nations Mission in South Sudan]] (UNMISS) between 2011 and 2016 and since early 2020.{{sfn|Sharland|Feely|2020|p=31}} For instance, three F-FDTL members served as observers with UNMISS in 2016.{{sfn|International Institute for Strategic Studies|2016|p=296}} As of 2020, the F-FDTL was preparing plans to make larger peacekeeping deployments and Australia and Portugal were providing training for such missions.{{sfn|Sharland|Feely|2020|p=32}}