October 26, 2025 | 09:01 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Timor Leste officially joined ASEAN on Sunday, October 26, 2025, during the opening of the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This marks the first time in 26 years that ASEAN has expanded its membership.
Timor Leste is the first country to join ASEAN since Cambodia's admission in 1999.
Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao joined 10 ASEAN leaders to sign the documents confirming Indonesia's long-awaited participation and solidifying Timor Leste's status as the 11th member of ASEAN. The leaders then posed for photographs and clasped hands, a traditional ASEAN symbol of unity.
The announcement came as regional leaders gathered for the 47th ASEAN Summit and related meetings at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, under the leadership of Malaysia.
As reported by Free Malaysia Today and Asiaone, this historic signing by the ASEAN leaders marks the culmination of over a decade of efforts by the young nation to join the regional bloc.
Timor-Leste first applied for ASEAN membership in 2011 and was granted observer status in 2022.
Since then, the country has participated in key ASEAN meetings while working to align its national framework with the bloc's political, economic, and socio-cultural pillars.
Timor Leste's acceptance was formalized after the opening ceremony of the Summit, marking a historic milestone for the island nation of 1.3 million people and ASEAN, amidst evolving geopolitical dynamics and ongoing global economic uncertainties.
The country, which gained independence in 2002 after decades of conflict and Indonesian occupation, is now part of a community that originated from an association of five member states in 1967 and now represents over 700 million people in Southeast Asia.
Observers say this expansion underscores ASEAN's commitment to regional openness and cohesion, although questions remain about its ability to maintain unity and relevance amid increasing competition among major powers.
Over the next three days, they will hold a series of meetings among themselves and with external partners, with discussions expected to range from US-China trade tensions to Myanmar.
They are also scheduled to meet with key partners, including US President Donald Trump and Chinese Premier Li Qiang. Other attending leaders include Japan's new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
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