Latest news with #47thAseanSummitandRelatedSummits
The Star
27-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Timor-Leste to join Asean as full member by October, says PM
KUALA LUMPUR: Timor-Leste will become a full member of Asean by the 47th Asean Summit and Related Summits in October, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Anwar said that Timor-Leste has worked hard to meet the requirements for Asean membership, and Malaysia is satisfied with the country's efforts. "Malaysia, Indonesia, and other countries have assisted in many ways to ensure they meet this precondition." "I would say we are quite satisfied. The decision is to agree that they will be accepted as a full member by the next session in October," Anwar said. He spoke during his exit press conference after the 46th Asean Summit and Related Summits at the KL Convention Centre. Anwar mentioned that Timor-Leste must meet "one or two" economic preconditions for full membership. "The consensus was to ensure their entry by October," he said. Currently, Asean's 10 member states are Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and the Philippines. Anwar briefly mentioned that Asean is negotiating a free-trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). As the Asean chair this year, Malaysia aims to develop tangible programmes benefiting ordinary people by October. Anwar said various ministries and officials must start working on these initiatives for introduction by October. "So by October, we want to see results. We want to see real change that benefits people," he said. Anwar credited the success of the 46th Asean Summit to the hard work of government officials. "It is unprecedented that things usually discussed in October are being done now. We are moving forward, and this is a major change," he added. Anwar said the 46th Asean Summit achieved its objectives by bringing the GCC and China together. "This is our first inaugural meeting. There was a series of discussions and a detailed joint statement," he added. He said that discussions at the 46th Asean Summit were fruitful. "There is a dramatic change in attitude. The South China Sea was discussed, and we saw exchanges between the Philippines and China." "I'm not saying these issues can be resolved, but there is meaningful and positive engagement. That is the spirit of Asean," said Anwar. The second day of the 46th Asean Summit featured the second Asean-GCC Summit and the inaugural Asean-GCC-China Summit.
![[UPDATED] Mohamad: Asean supportive, but Timor-Leste must show commitment](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.nst.com.my%2Fimages%2Farticles%2FASEAN_SUMMIT_2025_4390f12d6dfb40c0a76c3e875564fa21_1748162813.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
![[UPDATED] Mohamad: Asean supportive, but Timor-Leste must show commitment](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.nst.com.my%2Fassets%2FNST-Logo%402x.png%3Fid%3Db37a17055cb1ffea01f5&w=48&q=75){kind=small}
New Straits Times
25-05-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
[UPDATED] Mohamad: Asean supportive, but Timor-Leste must show commitment
KUALA LUMPUR: Timor-Leste must work "doubly hard" to secure full membership in Asean, including adopting the necessary guidelines related to Asean legal instruments under the Asean Foreign Ministers' (AFM) framework. Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said that while the economic bloc is keen to assist Timor-Leste, the country must also demonstrate its own commitment. "We will do our best to facilitate Timor-Leste's accession, because the majority of us (in Asean) want to see the country as part of the family. Now, Timor-Leste must work hard to fulfil and comply with the instruments (under the AFM framework), and we will try our best to assist them," he said. Mohamad said Malaysia, as Asean Chairman, has proposed that Timor-Leste be admitted into the economic bloc as its newest member this year, despite the country not yet having fulfilled all 84 of the bloc's legal instruments. He said Malaysia sees it as important for Timor-Leste to become part of the Asean family, and that the country should be given several years to meet all the legal instruments required for full compliance. "There are still many legal instruments that Timor-Leste must adopt, and from what we have seen, the number has been reduced from 84 to 66 — most of which fall under the purview of the Asean Economic Community Council. "At the same time, we are also exploring proposals that, if full compliance is not yet possible, Timor-Leste could be allowed to join first with a timeline set to fulfil the remaining conditions later," he said. He also said Asean will now begin undertaking their respective domestic legal procedures with the aim of finalising Timor-Leste's accession process by the 47th Asean Summit and Related Summits in October 2025. This, he said, follows the adoption of the Addendum to the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) Treaty and its deposit with Thailand as the Depositary State. Meanwhile, asked about claims that the Philippines was blocking Timor-Leste's accession to Asean, Mohamad briefly said such claims were merely rumours. "Do not listen to rumours — there is no truth to it."
