MIL OSI Translation. Timor-Leste Portuguese to English –
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation
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Press release
Timor-Leste welcomes the Statement by the Chair of the 44th and 45th ASEAN and Related Summits
Timor-Leste congratulates ASEAN and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic on the successful conclusion of the 44th and 45th ASEAN and Related Summits from 9 to 11 October 2024. We also express our gratitude to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic for its leadership throughout the year.
We welcome the decision to support the implementation of the “Objective and Criteria-Based Roadmap for Timor-Leste’s Full Membership in ASEAN”. Timor-Leste appreciates the positive momentum towards our ASEAN membership journey and extends its sincere gratitude to ASEAN for recognizing our continued efforts. We also express our appreciation to Member States for their continued support and commitment to this important process.
As a sign of progress, Timor-Leste hopes to meet the Roadmap criteria for full ASEAN membership. Intensive preparations are underway to secure accession to ASEAN agreements and legal instruments under the three pillars, as stipulated in the Roadmap.
Timor-Leste has taken several important steps towards ASEAN membership, including advocacy campaigns and national-level dialogues to raise awareness of ASEAN, participation in capacity-building and leadership programmes, and strengthening bilateral relations with all ASEAN Member States. Timor-Leste also has an expanded technical work programme aimed at introducing ASEAN legal frameworks into national policy development, ensuring alignment and integration of government policies and regulatory frameworks with ASEAN standards.
The Timorese Government’s top-level leadership has been driving the accession process forward. Timor-Leste’s Council of Ministers adopted a resolution to establish an inter-ministerial technical working group on ASEAN accession, which catalyzed a dynamic whole-of-government work plan. Most recently, the 9th Constitutional Government appointed a Vice-Minister for ASEAN Affairs to accelerate accession work and oversee the Directorate-General for ASEAN Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, which coordinates and leads the accession process.
Timor-Leste remains committed to this process and will continue to cooperate with ASEAN and dialogue partners on our journey towards full membership.
Finally, the Government of Timor-Leste also welcomes the Malaysian Presidency in 2025 and looks forward to working closely with the President on matters of regional cooperation, including Timor-Leste’s accession. ENDS
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.