DILI, 26 May 2025 (TATOLI) – ASEAN Foreign Ministers have adopted the draft addendum to the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ), paving the way for Timor-Leste to accede to the Treaty by the end of the year.
The adoption of the treaty marked another concrete step on Timor-Leste’s path toward full membership in the regional bloc.
“Its adoption marks a significant step forward in Timor-Leste’s integration into ASEAN’s political and security frameworks,” Malaysia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement after the AMM, according to BERNAMA.
The Ministry said ASEAN Foreign Ministers and Timor-Leste reaffirmed their shared commitment to regional peace, stability, and prosperity amid growing geopolitical and economic challenges.
“The discussions centred on strengthening ASEAN’s strategic autonomy, advancing the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, and enhancing the region’s capacity to play a proactive and constructive role in regional and global affairs,” Wisma Putra said, as quoted by BERNAMA.
Timor-Leste warmly welcomed the adoption of the Addendum to the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) and expressed its sincere gratitude to the Member States of ASEAN and the SEANWFZ Commission for their continued support and solidarity.
The symbolic ceremony marking the deposit of the Addendum with Thailand as the Depositary State is a moment of historic significance for regional peace and security, and Timor-Leste is honored to have participated in this milestone as an Observer.
“We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the principles of peace, non-proliferation, and a nuclear weapon-free Southeast Asia,” Government of Timor-Leste said in a statement.
The statement reads, “Timor-Leste looks forward with great anticipation to formally acceding to the SEANWFZ Treaty by the end of the year, further solidifying our integration into the ASEAN family and contributing to a safer and more secure region for all.”
The SEANWFZ Commission Meeting was chaired by Malaysia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dato’ Seri Utama Haji Mohamad bin Haji Hasan, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was attended by the Secretary-General of ASEAN, Kao Kim Hourn; all members of the SEANWFZ Commission; and Timor-Leste as an Observer.
TATOLI
