TIMOR-LESTE TO JOIN ASEAN
Meanwhile, ASEAN is set to have a new member by the end of the year.
Announcing this at a press conference on Tuesday, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim whose country is this year’s ASEAN chair, said Timor-Leste will become ASEAN’s 11th member state, with full membership to be granted at the next regional meeting in Kuala Lumpur in October.
Timor-Leste is the youngest country in Southeast Asia, having gained independence from Indonesia in 2002 after 24 years of occupation.
Its president, Jose Ramos-Horta, has long campaigned for ASEAN membership and an application was first submitted in 2011.
Timor-Leste was granted observer status to the regional body in 2022. Its full membership is contingent on meeting the criteria outlined in a roadmap which specifies three working plans on politics and security, economy, and social and cultural ties.
Mr Wong said Timor-Leste has made good progress on that roadmap.
“There are still some issues to be resolved … but given the progress that has been made so far, the leaders agreed at this meeting that we will try and expedite the outstanding issues, provide full support to Timor-Leste.
“We look forward to welcoming Timor-Leste as a full member of ASEAN by the end of this year,” he said, adding that Singapore will do its part to support this process.
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