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Timor-Leste to be granted full Asean membership in October: Anwar
The Straits Times
|May 28, 2025
He says grouping reached consensus on country's application after rounds of talks
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 a 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 recognized 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.
This story is from the May 28, 2025 edition of The Straits Times.
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