The Foreign Correspondents Association (FCA) of Singapore welcomed Dr. Jose Ramos-Horta, President of the Republic of Timor Leste, as their Guest-of-Honour at the 2008 Annual Gala Dinner, which was held at the Grand Ballroom of St. Regis Singapore on Saturday 24 May 2008.
His first trip out of Timor Leste since recovering from his attempted assassination in February this year, Dr. Ramos-Horta graced guests of the FCA Gala with his presence. President Dr. Ramos-Horta graciously took to the stage as the keynote speaker and spoke on the current political health of Timor Leste and his plans for the future of the republic.
President Dr. Jose Ramos-Horta is the second President of East Timor since the country's independence from Indonesia in 2002. Prior to taking over the Presidency, Dr. Ramos-Horta had also served as the country's first Foreign Minister and second Prime Minister.
He is a key figure in Timor Leste politics and is credited for raising global awareness of the country's fate, addressing several assemblies at the United Nations in his campaign for the liberation of East Timor from Indonesian regime. In recognition of the effort that he had put "towards a just and peaceful solution to the conflict in East Timor", President Ramos-Horta was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996, alongside fellow East Timorese, Bishop Carlos Belo.
