Timor Leste Will Do What It Takes To Be Asean Member

---

 
Timor-Leste’s foreign minister, Bendito dos Santos Freitas, said the country was becoming more modernised through digitalisation and e-government.
LANGKAWI: While admitting that Timor-Leste may be underprepared to join Asean, the country’s foreign minister says it will do whatever it takes to become a member of the regional grouping.
Bendito dos Santos Freitas said Timor-Leste was open to constructive criticism while scepticism of its readiness to join Asean only strengthened its resolve.
While the country faces challenges in terms of human resources and infrastructure, Freitas said Timor-Leste was in a better position to join Asean than when previous members did so.
He said criticism was understandable, but Timor-Leste was more prepared than some countries that joined Asean before.
“Comparatively, we are actually more prepared. Timor-Leste is becoming more modernised with digitalisation and e-government,” he told reporters at the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Retreat here.
Timor-Leste attended the retreat as an observer.
Freitas said he expects Timor-Leste to become part of Asean this year, when Malaysia is the chair. “Geographically, we are already part of Asean. But politically, we are waiting to be a full member.”
Earlier today, in opening the retreat, Malaysian foreign minister Mohamad Hasan advocated for Timor-Leste’s membership, calling on Asean to ensure the full participation of all Southeast Asian countries.
Last year, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Asean’s future must include Timor-Leste to enhance the regional bloc’s economic potential.
Timor-Leste, a former Portuguese colony, became independent in 2002 after two decades of occupation by Indonesia. The republic was recognised as an Asean observer state in 2005 and applied for membership in March 2011.
Its application to become an Asean member was approved in principle in 2022. - FMT

---