{ "error": "", "type": "text", "title": "Readout of Secretary Esper’s Phone Call With Timor-Leste's Minister of Defense Filomeno da Paixão de Jesus", "slug": "readout-of-secretary-espers-phone-call-with-timor-lestes-minister-of-defense-filomeno-da-paixão-de-jesus", "text": "
\"Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper spoke with his Timor-Leste counterpart, Minister of Defense Filomeno da Paix\u00e3o de Jesus. Both leaders offered sympathies to those affected by COVID-19 in the United States and Timor-Leste. Secretary Esper commended Timor-Leste\u2019s success in controlling the spread of COVID-19, and Minister Filomeno conveyed Timor-Leste\u2019s gratitude to the United States for allocating $2.4 million in COVID-19 relief funding. Secretary Esper and Minister Filomeno also discussed bilateral defense priorities, including military exercises, security cooperation funding for Baucau Airport, and Timor-Leste\u2019s partnership with the Rhode Island National Guard.<\/p>", "quote": null, "citation": "