Hello and welcome to the details of Timor-Leste joins Asean: What to know about Asia’s youngest nation and now with the details
Nevin Al Sukari - Sana'a - Prime Minister of Timor-Leste Xanana Gusmão (left) poses with Asean leaders during the plenary session of the 46th Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur May 26, 2025. — Picture by Firdaus Latif
By Dhesegaan Bala Krishnan
Saturday, 25 Oct 2025 7:00 AM MYT
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 25 — The 10-member Association of South-east Asian Nations (Asean) is set to formally welcome Timor-Leste as its 11th member this month, marking the bloc’s first expansion in over 25 years.
Timor-Leste is expected to deposit its instrument of accession during the 47th Asean Summit, scheduled to take place this weekend in Kuala Lumpur.
Formerly known as East Timor, the island nation gained independence in 2002, making it Asia’s youngest country.
It is home to about 1.4 million people, with roughly three-quarters under the age of 35.
Portuguese and Tetum are the country’s official languages, while English and Indonesian are designated as working languages — making Timor-Leste the only Asean member with Portuguese as an official language.
From colonisation to independence
Timor-Leste occupies the eastern half of the island of Timor — Indonesia controls the western part — along with the Oecussi enclave and the islands of Atauro and Jaco.
The area’s colonial history split along European lines: the Dutch occupied West Timor, while Portugal ruled the east for over 400 years.
After briefly declaring independence from Portugal in 1975, Timor-Leste was invaded by Indonesia under President Suharto and remained an Indonesian province for 24 years.
Following Suharto’s fall, Indonesia’s then-president BJ Habibie authorised a UN-supervised referendum, leading to Timor-Leste’s formal independence in 2002.
A key figure in the independence struggle was current president José Ramos-Horta, who, alongside Bishop Carlos Belo, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996 for championing peace and self-determination.
Why joining Asean matters
Timor-Leste first applied for Asean membership in 2011 and was granted observer status in 2022.
Full membership opens access to a regional market of over 650 million people and new opportunities for economic diversification.
The nation’s nominal GDP stands at around US$2 billion (2023), with its economy heavily reliant on oil and gas from the Timor Sea.
The petroleum sector accounts for roughly 70 per cent of GDP and government revenue.
The World Bank has cautioned that Timor-Leste’s Petroleum Fund — valued at about US$18 billion — could be exhausted by the mid-2030s if current spending trends persist.
Over 40 per cent of Timorese live below the national poverty line, and infrastructure gaps remain wide.
Closer economic integration under Asean’s frameworks, including the Asean Free Trade Area, could lower tariffs on construction materials and consumer goods while boosting small businesses and infrastructure projects in the capital, Dili.
Asean membership also positions Timor-Leste to seek accession to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the world’s largest trade pact, which includes all Asean nations plus Australia, China, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand.
Diplomatic balancing acts
Timor-Leste’s accession follows a series of diplomatic manoeuvres to win over hesitant members.
In May 2025, it deported former Philippine congressman Arnolfo Teves Jr., saying his presence posed a national security risk and could damage the country’s image before accession.
After Myanmar’s junta signalled opposition to its entry, Timor-Leste held talks with Naypyitaw in September 2025 and pledged not to host anti-junta groups on its soil — a move seen as an effort to secure consensus under Asean’s non-interference principle.
Asean’s Charter requires the unanimous approval of existing members for any new admission, and Malaysia’s chairmanship under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was instrumental in pushing the process forward.
Last month, Ramos-Horta awarded Anwar the Grand Collar of the Order of Timor-Leste — the country’s highest honour — for his steadfast support of Dili’s long-standing bid to join the bloc.
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