Timor-Leste's Accession To ASEAN Crucial For Economic Advantage, Stronger Voice - Freitas

By Vikneswaran Raman

KUALA LUMPUR, May 25 (Bernama) -- The accession of Timor-Leste as a full ASEAN member is vital not merely for economic advantage but also for a stronger voice in diplomacy, according to the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Bendito dos Santos Freitas.

In this regard, he is optimistic about gaining full membership status by end of this year during Malaysia’s chairmanship, after being granted observer status three years ago.

Freitas said the 46th ASEAN Summit taking place at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre could gradually open the door for the Portuguese and Tetum-speaking nation to achieve ASEAN membership.

“We’ve done our best through institutional coordination activities, in addition to working with ASEAN member states and participating in capacity-building programmes. These efforts are crucial for fulfilling the roadmap adopted at the 43rd Summit in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia.

“I truly appreciate and commend Malaysia’s chairmanship, which is very important and supportive of our efforts. We believe and are confident that this summit can, at the very least, slowly open the door (for us) to be a full member of ASEAN,” he said in an exclusive interview with Bernama on the sidelines of the 46th ASEAN Summit here today.

He added that Timor-Leste has also established a dedicated unit within the ASEAN Secretariat, with support from all ASEAN member states, particularly Malaysia, to advance its membership aspirations.

Freitas said full membership is crucial for the small nation of 1.4 million people, not only for economic benefits but also due to its strategic location between Indonesia and Australia within the framework of ASEAN’s Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.

“As part of the ASEAN family, we can both contribute to and benefit from support in areas such as diplomacy, politics, regional cooperation and multilateral engagement.

“Given our strategic location and our future role in ASEAN, we can play a vital role in supporting the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. We also have the potential to enhance cooperation with other parts of the Pacific Islands, serving as a bridge for regional collaboration,” he said.

Asked whether any member states object to Timor-Leste’s accession, he said they are mainly concerned about the country's readiness to fulfil the criteria outlined in the roadmap, and assured that Timor-Leste would continue working hard over the next few months.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, who held a bilateral meeting with Freitas earlier, reiterated Malaysia’s strong support for Timor-Leste’s aspiration to attain full ASEAN membership.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, in a separate event, also reaffirmed Malaysia’s and Laos’ strong support for Timor-Leste’s full ASEAN membership.

“We also discussed the accession of Timor-Leste, hopefully by October this year, if we can retain a consensus in this meeting tomorrow, particularly during the following retreat,” he said at a joint press conference with the Prime Minister of Laos, Sonexay Siphandone, at the Perdana Putra Complex here today.

Timor-Leste has sought to join ASEAN since 2011, and at the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits in November 2022, ASEAN agreed in principle to admit Timor-Leste as its 11th member, contingent upon fulfilling the criteria outlined in the Full Membership Roadmap.

The roadmap includes three working plans focusing on political and security issues, economic cooperation and social and cultural ties, all of which Timor-Leste must implement before being granted full membership.

Current ASEAN members are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

-- BERNAMA