Southeast Asian leaders agree to admit Timor-Leste as 11th member

Leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) have agreed to admit Timor-Leste as its 11th Asean Member at the next Asean Summit in October, said a senior Thai diplomat yesterday.

- PORAMET TANGSATHAPORN

Bolbongse Vangphaen, director-general of Asean Affairs Department, said Asean would receive Timor-Leste as a full Asean member at the 47th Asean Summit this October that is to be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

He said Asean leaders agreed that accepting Timor-Leste as a member of the Asean framework would help strengthen the association's mechanisms.