DILI, 10 July 2025 (TATOLI) — Timor-Leste will officially become the 11th member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on October 26, 2025, Malaysian Foreign Minister Dato’ Seri Utama Haji Mohamad bin Haji Hasan has announced.
The announcement was made during the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) and Related Meetings held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on July 9.
“Timor-Leste will be officially admitted as a full member of ASEAN on October 26, following the decision already made by ASEAN leaders at the 46th Summit,” said Timor-Leste’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Bendito Freitas, after the AMM meeting.
He said there is no longer any issue to be concerned about, as Timor-Leste is now fully focused on preparing for its full integration into ASEAN.
In response to concerns about Myanmar’s stance, Timor-Leste’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Bendito dos Santos Freitas, confirmed that Myanmar’s recent objections would not affect the accession process.
He explained that Myanmar representatives participated in the AMM and clarified that they had no intention of blocking Timor-Leste’s entry into the organization. However, they requested a formal letter from Timor-Leste’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to establish bilateral cooperation.
“Myanmar has no objection to our accession but has asked us to send a letter to express our willingness to strengthen bilateral relations and future collaboration,” said Minister Freitas.
He confirmed that he will send the letter to his Myanmar counterpart to affirm Timor-Leste’s commitment to building strong diplomatic ties.
TATOLI
