Interview with José Ramos-Horta, President of Timor-Leste

On February 4, 2019, Pope Francis and Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayyeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, signed a joint Document on Human Fraternity, condemning religious violence and calling for “the widespread promotion of a culture of tolerance”.
The document was signed in Abu Dhabi during the Pope’s historic visit to the Emirate, the first of its kind. Since the document’s signing, the UAE has marked the 4th February every year with the awarding of the international Zayed Prize for Human Fraternity.
The event brings together the prizewinners and a number of global political and religious leaders. Among their number this year is José Manuel Ramos-Horta, the President of Timor-Leste.
He spoke to Vatican News about the concept of human fraternity, Pope Francis’ recent visit to his small Southeast Asian country, and the lessons to be learned from its reconciliation with one-time occupier Indonesia.