KUALA LUMPUR – Timor-Leste will become Asean’s 11th member state, with full membership to be granted at the next regional meeting in Kuala Lumpur later in 2025.
Announcing this at a press conference on May 27, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim – whose country is the Asean chair in 2025 – said Timor-Leste will become a full member of the regional grouping at the upcoming Asean meeting scheduled for October.
“The decision is they will be accepted as full member in the next October session,” said Datuk Seri Anwar, adding that this was still subject to Timor-Leste fulfilling “one or two” more conditions under the economic pillar.
He said Asean had finally achieved a real consensus on Timor-Leste after many rounds of negotiations.
Timor-Leste was officially recognised by the UN in 2002, making it Asia’s youngest democracy. The resource-rich country of 1.5 million people immediately began the process of accession to Asean but formally applied for membership only in 2011.
During the Asean Summit in Cambodia in 2022, Timor-Leste was admitted in principle as the 11th member of Asean and granted observer status.
