Timor-Leste joins ASEAN as its 11th member

KUALA LUMPUR: Timor-Leste was officially welcomed as the 11th member of ASEAN after submitting its Instrument of Accession to the ASEAN Charter and the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) at a ceremony in Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre today.

The event was witnessed by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan and his ASEAN counterparts. Mohamad said the membership marks an expansion of ASEAN’s scope to include all sovereign nations in the region. He described the occasion as not merely diplomatic, but a symbol of regional unity and resilience.

Timor-Leste

He congratulated the government and people of Timor-Leste, praising their perseverance since independence in 2002 and their long pursuit of ASEAN membership.

Timor-Leste’s accession, first proposed in 2011, was agreed in principle at the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits in 2022. The move strengthens ASEAN’s inclusiveness and collective identity. Photo: Facebook

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