State President Nguyen Minh Triet on May 19 sent a congratulatory message to Jose Ramos-Horta, on his recent election as President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste.

Ramos-Horta is the first president the country has elected since it gained independence from Indonesia in 2002.

In 1996, he won a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to bring his country’s plight to the global stage.