Timor’s entry as a full member of ASEAN took place in Kuala Lumpur, during the 47th summit of heads of state and government.
This Sunday, Timor-Leste concluded its membership of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), after more than a decade of preparation, which began in 2011 with the submission of the application for admission.
The entry as a full member took place in Kuala Lumpur, during the 47th summit of heads of state and government, which will run until Tuesday.
ASEAN was created in 1967 by Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines, and was later joined by Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. With 676.6 million inhabitants, ASEAN is the third most populous region in the world, after India and China.
The declaration on Timor-Leste’s admission to ASEAN was signed by the Timorese Prime Minister, Xanana Gusmão, and the representatives of the other member states, and was then delivered to the Secretary General of ASEAN, Kao Kim Hourn, accompanied by Xanana Gusmão and the Timorese Head of State, José Ramos-Horta.
The flag of Timor-Leste was then raised on the ceremony stage.
At the summit, dedicated to the theme “Inclusion and Sustainability”, topics such as regional peace, economic resilience and inclusive growth will be addressed, and there will be bilateral meetings with the United States, China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia and the European Union.
