KUALA LUMPUR: Timor-Leste’s bid to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is progressing, according to the Philippines’ Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Affairs Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro, though she cautioned that membership is still subject to further consideration.
“I can’t speculate, but based on the discussions we’ve had, I think it’s positive,“ she said, noting that Malaysia, the current ASEAN chair, appears eager to expedite the accession process of Timor-Leste.
“I think also the intention of ASEAN, particularly the chair Malaysia is that it (Timor-Leste) becomes a member the soonest time. Probably it’s one of the deliverables for your (their) ‘chairship’ this year,” she told reporters after the ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) here today.
However, despite the momentum, Lazaro stated that several issues remain unresolved.
“It’s highly speculative. There’s still a number of issues and discussions, but I think it’s moving,” she said.
Timor-Leste, which applied for ASEAN membership in 2011, was granted observer status at high-level meetings in 2022 but is still undergoing evaluation for full integration.
According to previous media reports, Singapore had reservations about accepting Timor-Leste into the ASEAN fold due to its modest economic size, fearing it might hinder the realisation of the Asean Economic Community.
On the future of the ASEAN-China-GCC Summit, which will be held in this year’s ASEAN Summit, Lazaro said discussions are ongoing about whether the tradition will continue.
“It’s something that is still up for discussion. We’ll see how the summit goes,” she said.
The SOM is a key preparatory phase ahead of the 46th ASEAN Summit, scheduled to take place from May 26 to 27.
The summit will gather leaders from the bloc’s member states to discuss regional issues, foster economic cooperation and advance the principles of inclusivity and sustainability.
Kuala Lumpur will also concurrently host the second ASEAN-GCC Summit and the inaugural ASEAN-GCC-China Summit.
