Vice-Minister Milena Rangel Represents Timor-Leste at ASEAN Senior Officials' Meetings in Malaysia
The Vice-Minister for ASEAN Affairs Milena Rangel led Timor-Leste's delegation to the ASEAN Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) and related meetings, held in Port Dickson from September 9 to 11. On this occasion, Timor-Leste reaffirmed its commitment to full membership of ASEAN and participated in discussions on regional cooperation, maritime security, and economic integration, alongside ASEAN Member States and Dialogue Partners. 
The ASEAN Senior Officials' Meeting aimed to deliberate on the priorities of the Malaysian Chairmanship in preparation for the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits, scheduled for October 2025. Discussions focused on deepening Community building and strengthening ASEAN's external relations. The leaders of the ASEAN SOM and the ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General for Political-Security Affairs were present, with Timor-Leste participating as an observer.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Vice-Minister Milena Rangel met on September 9 with Michelle Chan, Australia's Assistant Secretary and Senior Official for the East Asia Summit (EAS) and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). During the meeting, Australia reiterated its strong support for Timor-Leste's ASEAN accession process. Both sides highlighted the strengthening of bilateral cooperation and underscored their shared commitment to regional peace and prosperity.
On the same day, the Vice-Minister also held a bilateral meeting with the Permanent Secretary and Head of the Malaysian Delegation to SOM, Dato’ Sri Amran Mohamed Zin. The meeting focused on the final preparations for Timor-Leste's accession to ASEAN next month, with both sides reaffirming their commitment to ensuring a smooth and timely integration Vice-Minister Milena Rangel thanked Malaysia for its consistent support, particularly in the process of aligning ASEAN legal instruments, with both delegations emphasizing the importance of maintaining close cooperation as Timor-Leste prepares to take its place as a full member state of the ASEAN Community.
On the second day of the series of meetings, the ASEAN Plus Three Senior Officials' Preparatory Meeting (APT Prep-SOM) was held, attended by representatives from APT countries and the ASEAN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Political-Security Affairs. Timor-Leste also participated as an Observer, and preparations for the 28th ASEAN Plus Three Summit, to be held in October 2025, were discussed.
Timor-Leste continues to finalize the implementation of the commitments made in the Roadmap for Full Membership of ASEAN, whose official ceremony will take place in Malaysia on October 26, 2025. END
