Timor-Leste to become Asean’s 11th member in October
DILI, Timor-Leste (MNTV) — Timor-Leste is slated to become the 11th member of the ASEAN regional grouping next month, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Tuesday during a visit to the South-east Asian nation, reports The Straits Times.
The accession will be formalised at a gathering of world leaders in Kuala Lumpur, confirmed Anwar, whose country currently chairs ASEAN.
Timor-Leste is the youngest country in the region, having gained independence from Indonesia in 2002.
“The accession of Timor-Leste to ASEAN will be of immense benefit to us all,” Anwar told a press conference after a meeting with Timor-Leste’s President Jose Ramos-Horta in the country’s capital, Dili.
“We will certainly have a big celebration for your accession to ASEAN in October,” he said.
Ramos-Horta has long campaigned for ASEAN membership, and an application was first submitted in 2011.
He said: “Our discussions have been a warm, constructive focus on the future as we prepare for our historic accession to ASEAN in October in Kuala Lumpur.
“We are committed to working closely with Malaysia and all ASEAN members to fulfil their remaining milestones on our path to full membership.”
ASEAN began as a five-member grouping in 1967 and has gradually expanded, with Cambodia the most recent addition in 1999.
President Donald Trump has confirmed he will attend the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur in October.
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