DILI, 23 february 2026 (TATOLI) — Timor-Leste has kicked off formal preparations to chair the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2029, with Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão appointed head of the National Council for Timor-Leste’s ASEAN Chairmanship to lead preparations for the country’s largest-ever international event.
In preparation for the event, the government today marked the first meeting of the National Council, held at the Ministry of Finance in Dili.
The inaugural meeting was hailed as a key milestone for the country, with the government formally approving the 2026 National Action Plan.
“Today we begin the formal preparations for Timor-Leste’s Chairmanship of ASEAN in 2029,” Gusmão said in his opening remarks.
He said preparations for the 2029 ASEAN Chairmanship would require strengthening national infrastructure, improving health, education, and public service systems, and ensuring whole-of-government cooperation, sound financial management, and a strong national voice in a complex regional environment.
“Within one generation of restoring our independence, our nation will assume responsibility for leading the Association of Southeast Asian Nations,” he said.
The Prime Minister stressed that when Timor-Leste assumes the ASEAN chair in 2029, it must enter “a new period of leadership”.
Assuming the ASEAN chairmanship would be a defining moment in Timor-Leste’s history and a measure of the strength the country has built as a state. “Our country will no longer stand at the margins of regional affairs but will assume full responsibility within them. This is a great responsibility for our nation and for all our people.”
He said Timor-Leste must “live up to the trust” placed in it by regional partners and be ready not only to participate in ASEAN but to guide it. “Chairing ASEAN is not simply about hosting meeting. It is a test of whether the State can coordinate, prioritise, budget and execute with discipline,” Gusmão stressed.
“In 2029, our performance will shape how our region understands Timor-Leste for the next generation. The eyes of the world will be on us,” the Prime Minister said.
The ASEAN summit in Timor-Leste would be, by far, the largest international event the country has ever held.
During the ASEAN summit Timor-Leste will host not only regional leaders, but leaders from across the world.
Gusmão said preparations must begin immediately through the governance structure approved by the Council of Ministers, including the National Organising Council, an executive committee and the National ASEAN Secretariat. “We must be ready,” he emphasized.
Gusmão added that the council would adopt terms of reference for sectoral and operational subcommittees and approve the 2026 annual workplan.
“This first year is our foundation phase. By the end of 2026, we must have completed our baseline assessments and our action plans,” he said.
Gusmão reiterated that hosting ASEAN was not only about organising a summit but about improving people’s lives and consolidating the State ahead of the end of the Strategic Development Plan in 2030.
“This is the task before us. It is not just about preparing for a Summit, it is a process of nation building to support a positive future for our people,” he explained.
Timor-Leste applied to join ASEAN in 2011 alongside the launch of its 2011-2030 Strategic Development Plan.
The country was admitted to ASEAN at a summit in Malaysia last year, completing a long accession process.
Membership “embeds Timor-Leste fully within the economic and strategic life of Southeast Asia”, Mr Gusmão said in prepared background remarks.
TATOLI
