Timor-Leste officially admitted to Asean, becoming its 11th member

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Timor-Leste’s admission was made official after the 47th Asean Summit’s opening ceremony.

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Summary

• Timor-Leste became Aseans 11th member on Oct 26, marking the first expansion in 25 years during the 47th Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur.
• Timor-Leste applied for membership in 2011 and its addition highlights Aseans commitment to regional cohesion.
• Leaders will discuss trade tensions and regional peace, meeting with key partners including US and Chinese leaders over three days.

AI generated

KUALA LUMPUR – For the first time in 26 years, Asean has expanded its ranks, with Timor-Leste officially admitted as the grouping’s 11th member on Oct 26.

The announcement came as regional leaders convened for the 47th Asean Summit and related meetings at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, hosted under Malaysia’s current chairmanship.

Timor-Leste’s admission was made official after the summit’s opening ceremony, marking a milestone for both the island nation of 1.3 million people, and Asean, at a time of shifting geopolitical dynamics and persistent global economic uncertainty.

Timor-Leste is the first country to join the grouping since Cambodia’s admission in 1999.

The nation, which gained independence in 2002 after decades of conflict and foreign occupation, now becomes part of a community that began as a five-member association in 1967 and today represents more than 700 million people in Southeast Asia.

Timor-Leste first applied for membership in 2011 and received in-principle approval in 2022, following years of institutional strengthening and capacity-building efforts to meet Asean’s political, economic and administrative requirements.

Observers say the expansion underscores Asean’s commitment to openness and regional cohesion, even as questions persist over its ability to maintain unity and relevance amid intensifying competition among major powers.