Timor-Leste becomes ASEAN’s 11th member
(VOVWORLD) - Timor-Leste officially joined the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), becoming the bloc’s 11th member state at the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Sunday.
 Timor-Leste's Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao speaks onstage at the 47th ASEAN Summit and related meetings in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, October 26, 2025. (Photo: REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa) |
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said that the admission of Timor-Leste gives new meaning to the vision of an inclusive and united ASEAN.
This milestone "completes the ASEAN family, reaffirming the shared destiny and deep sense of regional solidarity," he said. Within this community, Timor-Leste’s development and its strategic autonomy will find firm and lasting support, he added.
Timor-Leste gained independence in 2002, becoming the first sovereign nation of the 21st century. Since then, joining ASEAN has remained one of its top foreign policy priorities.
The country officially applied for ASEAN membership in 2011. In 2022, ASEAN granted Timor-Leste observer status, allowing it to participate in all ASEAN meetings, including the ASEAN Summit and related forums.