Dili, April 24, 2025 (Média Democracia) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (MNEK), through the General Directorate for ASEAN Affairs and with strong support from the European Union (EU), carried out a public information dissemination activity regarding Timor-Leste’s accession to ASEAN and its progress so far. The event took place at the Ministry of Justice building in Dili.
In an interview, Acting Director General for ASEAN Affairs at MNEK, Sidonio Martins, explained that the activity involved a workshop focused on sharing information with the public about Timor-Leste’s progress in joining ASEAN.
“We are conducting awareness-raising activities on ASEAN for the general population. We already launched this program in March, led by Vice Prime Minister Francisco Kalbuadi Lay,” said Sidonio Martins.
This initiative was organized by MNEK in collaboration with the Ministry of State Administration (MAE) and with full support from the EU.
“Today we began the activity in Dili Municipality, and we will continue in other municipalities, including RAEOA and Ataúro,” added Sidonio Martins.
The purpose of this activity is to provide the population with a better understanding of what ASEAN is, the progress Timor-Leste has made in its accession process, the benefits the country will gain, and how Timor-Leste will contribute once it becomes a full member of ASEAN.
“Timor-Leste submitted its application for ASEAN membership back in 2011. Since then, we’ve been moving forward step by step to join our brothers and sisters in the ASEAN family,” said Sidonio.
Geographically, Timor-Leste is part of Southeast Asia and is recognized as a sovereign state by all ASEAN member countries. Timor-Leste has expressed its willingness to respect the ASEAN Charter and is prepared to fulfill the requirements for accession, as the country has met the necessary criteria.
“This admission process will be decided by consensus at the ASEAN Summit, following a recommendation by the ASEAN Coordinating Council,” Sidonio clarified.
He further explained that since 2011, Timor-Leste has been preparing by implementing national-level awareness programs involving institutions and civil society, establishing focal points and a dedicated Secretariat for ASEAN Affairs, enhancing competencies through training and dialogue, participating in regional and global forums, and strengthening Timor-Leste’s embassies in all countries.
“Before this, MNEK conducted a comprehensive review of all relevant national policies and regulatory frameworks, which will be submitted to the Council of Ministers for approval. The preparation of documents, including the Memorandum on the Foreign Trade Regime, shows how far Timor-Leste has progressed in fulfilling ASEAN’s accession requirements,” added Sidonio Martins.
He mentioned that the next steps will involve identifying further actions to complete Timor-Leste’s integration, so that the ASEAN Secretariat and member countries can clearly understand the current national frameworks and assess the country’s readiness and efforts made thus far.
At the event, Trindade Pinto Baptista, Chief of Lahane Oriental Village, expressed his support, saying the initiative is a great step in informing the public about Timor-Leste’s ASEAN accession.
“As a community leader, I feel this activity is very useful. It helps inform us so we can better understand Timor-Leste’s ASEAN accession and in turn, explain it to our people in a clear and grounded way,” said Chief Trindade Pinto Baptista.
He added that this activity strengthens the position of Timorese people together with the State, reinforcing the country’s capacity to integrate into ASEAN.
Report by : Domingas
Photo by : Domingas