Timor-Leste becomes 11th member of ASEAN

Kuala Lumpur: Timor-Leste became the 11th member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) during the 47th ASEAN Summit in Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.

Timor-Leste applied for ASEAN membership in 2011. In 2022, the group’s leaders agreed in principle to include Timor-Leste as a member state, granting it Observer Status in ASEAN meetings. This was followed by the adoption of the Roadmap for Timor-Leste’s Full Membership in 2023, which guided its preparations to meet ASEAN’s membership criteria, including accession to ASEAN legal instruments and participation in meetings across all three ASEAN Community pillars.

In a statement, ASEAN stated, “In a historic occasion for the region, the Signing of the Declaration on the Admission of Timor-Leste into ASEAN took place at the Opening Ceremony of the 47th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits, held on 26 October 2025. The Declaration was signed by ASEAN Leaders together with the Prime Minister of Timor-Leste, marking the ASEAN Leaders’ consent to accept Timor-Leste as the 11th Member State of ASEAN. This achievement is the result of years of close cooperation between ASEAN and Timor-Leste.”

Timor-Leste’s Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao joined the ASEAN leaders for the signing of documents confirming the nation’s inclusion in the bloc. The leaders then posed for a family picture. This is the first expansion in the group since 1999.

The ASEAN was established in Thailand’s Bangkok in 1967, with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) by the Founding Fathers of ASEAN: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Brunei Darussalam joined ASEAN in 1984, followed by Vietnam in 1995, Laos and Myanmar in 1997, and Cambodia in 1999.

Malaysia, as the Chair of ASEAN, is hosting the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits under the theme “Inclusivity and Sustainability” in Kuala Lumpur from October 26-28.

These Summits consist of the ASEAN Summit, the ASEAN Plus One Summits between ASEAN and seven Dialogue Partners, namely, Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Russia, the US, respectively, as well as the ASEAN Plus Three Summit, East Asia Summit, ASEAN-United Nations Summit and ASEAN-New Zealand Commemorative Summit to mark 50 years of dialogue relations, according to the official statement. Malaysia will also host the 5th Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Summit and 3rd Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) Leaders Meeting at the sidelines of the Summits.

IANS