Southeastern Asian country becomes ASEAN’s 11th member state
To commemorate Timor-Leste’s historic admission as the 11th member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Embassy of Timor-Leste in Seoul hosted a diplomatic dinner reception earlier this week in Seoul.
The event drew a large turnout from ambassadors representing ASEAN countries and beyond.
Leading the ASEAN envoys was Malaysia’s Amb. Mohd Zamruni bin Khalid, who currently chairs the ASEAN Committee in Seoul.
Other ASEAN diplomats in attendance included Indonesia’s Amb. Cecep Herawan, Papua New Guinea’s Amb. Helen Aitsi, Vietnam’s Amb. Vu Ho, Laos’ Amb. Songkane Luangmuninthone, Singapore’s Amb. Wong Kai Jua, and Brunei’s Amb. Dk Nooriyah Pg Yussof.
Envoys from various non-ASEAN nations also joined the celebration.
Notable attendees included Finland’s Amb. Jyri Järviaho, Argentina’s Amb. Darío César Celaya Alvarez, Bulgaria’s Amb. Petar Kraytchev, Kazakhstan’s Amb. Nurgali Arystanov, Sudan’s Amb. Amira Agarib, Turkmenistan’s Amb. Begench Durdyev, and Brazil’s Amb. Márcia Donner Abreu.
In his welcoming remarks, Timor-Leste’s Amb. António de Sá Benevides stressed the strategic significance of his country’s ASEAN membership.
He noted that Timor-Leste sits at the crossroads of Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands, making its integration into the ASEAN community both natural and strategically important.
Beyond geography, he highlighted the country’s cultural ties with ASEAN members and its commitment to contributing to regional political and economic cooperation.
According to the Embassy, Timor-Leste expects ASEAN accession to accelerate its economic growth, strengthen productive and private sectors, expand commercial activities, enhance its skilled workforce within ASEAN’s competitive market, and contribute to broader regional peace and stability.
Amb. António commented that ASEAN membership has long been a national and strategic priority. The initiative to join ASEAN predates Timor-Leste’s independence, reflecting the aspirations of its leaders and citizens.
“We assess that regional integration is in our primary national interest and has become a guiding principle of our foreign policy,” he said.
A historic milestone was reached on 26 October 2025 during the Opening Ceremony of the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits, where the Declaration on the Admission of Timor-Leste into ASEAN was signed.
The document bore the signatures of ASEAN leaders as well as the Prime Minister of Timor-Leste, formalizing the nation’s entry as ASEAN’s 11th member. The ASEAN Secretariat noted that this achievement was the culmination of years of close collaboration between ASEAN and Timor-Leste.
Timor-Leste first submitted its official application for membership in 2011.
ASEAN leaders agreed in principle to admit the country in 2022, granting it Observer Status. This was followed by the adoption of the Roadmap for Timor-Leste’s Full Membership in 2023, which guided the country through key requirements, including accession to ASEAN’s legal instruments and participation across the three ASEAN Community pillars.
“The ceremony marks the culmination of a dedicated journey and ASEAN’s collective support in welcoming Timor-Leste into the ASEAN family,” the Embassy of Timor-Leste in Seoul stated.