Timor-Leste Participates In The ASEAN AI Summit 2025 For A Responsible Digital Future
Malaysia, 12 August 2025 – Minister Manetelu, accompanied by a delegation from the Ministry of Transport and Communications, comprised of the Director-General of Transport and Communications, Constantino Ferreira dos Santos, Technical Advisor João Olívio Freitas, and DNTT Director of Information Technology Jesuína Martins, participated in the ASEAN 2025 AI (Artificial Intelligence) Summit for a responsible digital future. 
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim launched a set of initiatives aimed at accelerating regional collaboration in AI (Artificial Intelligence), strengthening talent, and promoting responsible and inclusive innovation in Southeast Asia at the ASEAN AI Summit 2025 (AAIMS 25). 
At the launch of this summit, Malaysia's head of government emphasized: ‘This is more than a roadmap; it is a movement. The Digital Ministry, with the National AI Office at its core, will lead this initiative,’ he said during his speech at the official launch ceremony for AAIMS 2025. 
ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Kao Kim Hourn confirmed the initiative, highlighting its role in advancing the responsible development of artificial intelligence. He stated that safe AI reinforces ASEAN's commitment to incorporating safety, ethics and governance into AI systems, while supporting the ASEAN Responsible AI Roadmap.
“The establishment of secure AI in ASEAN is in line with global calls for an international network to combat AI security risks through collaboration between governments, academia and industry,” Kao said at the ASEAN Artificial Intelligence Summit 2025 in Malaysia. 
Timor-Leste participated in the event as an observer, to demonstrate its involvement and commitment to the digitization process, especially the collective effort of the region to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) responsibly and inclusively.
Timor-Leste's national policy framework on digital transformation underscores the IX Constitutional Government's commitment to leveraging emerging technologies — including AI — to advance governance, economic inclusion, and human development. ASEAN's call for a unified approach to AI governance and digital trust is aligned with Timor-Leste's shared values of equity, transparency, and sustainability. 
‘Timor-Leste recognizes the transformative potential of AI, particularly in accelerating our national priorities: e-governance, health, education and agriculture. In line with our digital development agenda, we are investing in key enablers such as digital ID systems, interoperable infrastructure and cybersecurity frameworks. These efforts are aligned with ASEAN's focus on ethical AI, data governance and capacity building," said Minister Manetelu in his speech at the roundtable of the ASEAN AI Summit 2025 in Malaysia
With the imminent operationalization of the Timor-Leste Southern Submarine Cable (TLSSC), Timor-Leste is poised to increase its digital connectivity, creating new opportunities for innovation and regional collaboration, driven by artificial intelligence. 
However, as a country in the early stages of digital transformation, the Minister highlighted a critical need: Timor-Leste calls on ASEAN for support in building AI skills, sharing open-source AI resources, and strengthening ethical AI governance tailored to the official languages of Tetum and Portuguese and local contexts.
The Minister of Transport and Communications, Miguel Marques Gonçalves, expressed his gratitude for the invitation to this summit from Malaysia's Digital Minister, Gobind Singh Deo. This type of collaboration embodies the spirit of solidarity within ASEAN. END
