KUALA LUMPUR, 6 November 2025 (TATOLI) — The Secretary-General of ASEAN emphasized that Timor-Leste’s full membership in ASEAN marks a significant milestone, providing the country with a vital platform to connect more broadly with the international community.
Responding to a question during the ASEAN Media Forum 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, the Secretary-General noted that Timor-Leste’s journey toward full membership has been a long one, beginning with its application in 2011 and culminating in its admission in 2022.
“We’ve been working with the Timor-Leste team for some time already to make sure that the state is able to familiarize itself with how we work here; the processes, the structures, how we operate at the national level. At the same time, we have been involved in capacity-building programs to ensure that Timor-Leste will be able to take full advantage of its status as a full member,” he said.
He explained that ASEAN has been implementing various capacity-building initiatives to ensure that Timor-Leste can fully benefit from its membership. As a full member, Timor-Leste will enjoy the same rights and responsibilities as the other ten Member States, including equal annual financial contributions starting January 1 next year.
The Secretary-General emphasized that ASEAN membership offers major economic opportunities for Timor-Leste as it becomes part of a single market of nearly 700 million people.
“So they open the door to investment. It’s good for infrastructure development, it’s good for job creation for the people, it opens the gateway for Timor-Leste and of course, much more,” he stated.
Journalist: Cidalia Fátima
Editor: Rafael Ximenes de A. Belo
