Timor-Leste will be accepted as the 11th full member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced.
According to Malaysia’s national news agency, Anwar said ASEAN leaders had reached a consensus to support Timor-Leste in completing the necessary steps for full membership in the regional bloc.
The decision, he stated, is for Timor-Leste to be officially admitted by the ASEAN Summit in October, pending the completion of one or two key reforms, particularly in the economic sphere. Anwar made the announcement during a press conference at the conclusion of the 46th ASEAN Summit on 27 May.
Timor-Leste first applied for ASEAN membership in 2011 and was granted observer status in 2022, allowing participation in high-level meetings. Full membership, however, has been under deliberation at the leadership level in recent summits.
Timor-Leste’s Prime Minister, Xanana Gusmão, attended the May Summit in Malaysia.
During the summit, Malaysian PM Anwar noted that ASEAN leaders have tasked ministers and senior officials with finalizing procedural steps for Timor-Leste’s admission by the upcoming 47th ASEAN Summit in October. They have also been directed to expedite negotiations on key economic agreements.
The statement indicated that they had tasked the ASEAN Coordinating Council, with the support of all relevant ASEAN Sectoral Ministerial Bodies and the ASEAN Secretariat, to extend the necessary support to facilitate Timor-Leste’s integration into the ASEAN community.