ASEAN’s newest member: East Timor

East Timor (Timor-Leste) officially joined the Association of Southeast Asian Nations during its Kuala Lumpur summit on Sunday, a move that allows the country to participate in Asean’s free-trade and investment agreements.

The $2-billion economy will now engage in regional mechanisms such as the Asean Free Trade Area and Asean Economic Community meetings. The bloc’s secretariat said East Timor will receive targeted capacity-building support to align with trade and customs standards.

Asean leaders signed the declaration of admission in the presence of East Timor’s Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão, who called the decision a “historic moment” for his country. The admission concludes a 14-year process that began in 2011, when East Timor first applied for membership, and follows Asean’s 2022 agreement in principle to admit the nation as an observer.

Malaysia, which chairs Asean in 2025, confirmed that the final readiness assessments covered governance, infrastructure and institutional performance. With membership now formalized, East Timor will gradually integrate into Asean’s economic and political frameworks beginning in 2026.