The Association of Southeast Asian Nations – commonly referred to as ASEAN – has welcomed its 11th member for the first time in 26 years. Timor-Leste was officially admitted on October 26 during the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.
Timor-Leste is the first country to join the grouping since Cambodia’s admission in 1999.
Timor-Leste officially applied for ASEAN membership in 2011. In 2022, ASEAN Leaders agreed in principle to admit 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.
