KUALA LUMPUR – Timor-Leste will become Asean’s 11th member state, with full membership to be granted at the next regional meeting in Kuala Lumpur later in 2025.

Announcing this at a press conference on May 27, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim – whose country is the Asean chair in 2025 – said Timor-Leste will become a full member of the regional grouping at the upcoming Asean meeting scheduled for October.

“The decision is they will be accepted as full member in the next October session,” said Datuk Seri Anwar, adding that this was still subject to Timor-Leste fulfilling “one or two” more conditions under the economic pillar.

He said Asean had finally achieved a real consensus on Timor-Leste after many rounds of negotiations.

Timor-Leste was officially recognised by the UN in 2002, making it Asia’s youngest democracy. The resource-rich country of 1.5 million people immediately began the process of accession to Asean but formally applied for membership only in 2011.

During the Asean Summit in Cambodia in 2022, Timor-Leste was admitted in principle as the 11th member of Asean and granted observer status.

Timor-Leste occupies the eastern part of the island of Timor, at the far eastern tip of the Indonesian archipelago. Its western region belongs to Indonesia. Before it became independent from Indonesia on May 20, 2002, Timor-Leste was one of its provinces, known as East Timor.

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At present, the 10 member states of Asean are Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and the Philippines.

On May 26, the day before the official announcement, Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta expressed appreciation that the country’s application had been accepted.

“(In) 2011, when as president I signed the formal letter of intention to join Asean, not too many in Timor-Leste understood and agreed. Not too many in Asean agreed,” the 75-year-old former independence fighter and Nobel Peace Prize laureate wrote on Facebook on May 26.

“My deep appreciation to all leaders and officials of Asean past and present,” Mr Ramos-Horta said. He also congratulated Timorese leaders “past and present” for their efforts, as well as those who have worked under the leadership of Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao over the past two years.

“And now, we must work even harder,” he added.

The young nation’s path to full membership had been delayed due to concerns among existing member states over whether it had the capacity to meet Asean’s rigorous commitments – such as hosting high-level meetings and fulfilling bureaucratic responsibilities.

To demonstrate its readiness, Timor-Leste established embassies in all Asean member capitals by 2016.

Mr Anwar stressed that Asean would continue to engage both Washington and Beijing amid the ongoing trade and chip tensions, even issuing an invitation to US President Donald Trump for an Asean-US summit.

“If I receive a letter from President Trump saying we will have a summit in the next few months. We don’t have any problem (with that),” he said.

“Work with (the) Chinese? Yes. We’ll do (it). (Work with the) United States? Yes, we have to,” he said, in concluding the regional grouping’s 46th summit held in Malaysia’s capital from May 26 to 27.

Mr Anwar said the South China Sea Code of Conduct was discussed during an exchange between the Philippines and Chinese Premier Li Qiang, adding that he was optimistic about a “clear and positive” engagement that reflects a renewed Asean spirit.

“I’m excited by the growing seriousness in discussions (on the South China Sea). We talk about working together, but when it comes to making decisions within Asean to protect our own turf or address geopolitical issues, we don’t always share the same views,” he noted.