Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – Timor-Leste officially joined the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), becoming the bloc’s 11th member state at the 47th ASEAN Summit held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on October 26.
The milestone was marked by the historic signing ceremony of the Declaration on the Admission of Timor-Leste to ASEAN, witnessed by leaders of the ten other member countries.
Speaking at the ceremony, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said that the admission of Timor-Leste gives new meaning to the vision of an inclusive and united ASEAN.
This milestone "completes the ASEAN family, reaffirming the shared destiny and deep sense of regional solidarity," he said. Within this community, Timor-Leste’s development and its strategic autonomy will find firm and lasting support, he added.
Timor-Leste gained independence in 2002, becoming the first sovereign nation of the 21st century. Since then, joining ASEAN has remained one of its top foreign policy priorities.
The country officially applied for ASEAN membership in 2011, after which feasibility studies were carried out to assess its readiness in areas such as political stability, economic capacity, and institutional preparedness.
In 2022, ASEAN granted Timor-Leste observer status, allowing it to participate in all ASEAN meetings, including the ASEAN Summit and related forums.
During Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, efforts to facilitate Timor-Leste’s full membership were further strengthened./.
