Government of Timor-Leste

On the next October 26, Timor-Leste will be formally admitted as the 11th member State of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), within the framework of the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits, which will take place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from October 26 to 28, 2025.

The government delegation will be led by Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão and includes several Government members who, in addition to participating in the official accession ceremony, will participate in multiple sectoral and bilateral meetings, as well as in the signing of memoranda of understanding with countries in the region, strengthening cooperation in various strategic areas for national development and regional integration.

The 47th ASEAN Summit will bring together more than 30 heads of State and Government, making it one of the largest gatherings in the organization's recent history. Under the theme "Inclusion and Sustainability," the Summit will address topics such as regional peace, economic resilience, and inclusive growth, including the ASEAN+3 summits, East Asia summits, and meetings with dialogue partners such as the United Nations, the United States, China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia, and the European Union.

Among the world leaders who will participate in the event are the President of the United States, Donald Trump, Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

For Timor-Leste, this is a historic moment, symbolizing two decades of institutional, diplomatic, and technical preparation for full integration into the regional community. The accession marks the beginning of a new phase of cooperation and development, framed within the Post-Accession Plan 2026–2030, which aims to consolidate Timor-Leste as a "capable, connected, and competitive country, fully integrated into the ASEAN Community until 2030."

The involvement of the different members of the Executive reflects the transversal nature of ASEAN integration, which encompasses the three pillars of the regional community — Political-Security, Economic and Sociocultural — and requires significant cooperation between various ministries and national institutions.

During the Summit, Government officials will also participate in meetings with their counterparts from Malaysia, the country that holds the ASEAN presidency in 2025, and other Member States, with a view to deepening bilateral and regional cooperation in the areas of energy transition, digital innovation, education, youth, agriculture, connectivity, and infrastructure.

Several Memoranda of Understanding will also be signed with ASEAN Member States, recently approved by the Council of Ministers, covering areas such as telecommunications, diplomatic affairs, security, justice, and media, among others. These agreements aim to promote technical exchange, institutional capacity-building, and strengthen cooperation between regulatory bodies, operators, and public institutions.

Timor-Leste's full membership in ASEAN is both a diplomatic milestone and a strategic commitment, reaffirming the country's role as an active partner in building a peaceful, stable and prosperous region.

In a recent speech delivered in July 2025 in Singapore, Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão stated that "Timor-Leste seeks full ASEAN membership with a strong sense of responsibility—and a deep sense of belonging," seeing itself "not as outsiders joining a club, but as Southeast Asians formally joining a regional family." He also asserted that for Timor-Leste, "ASEAN membership is not a destination—it is not an end in itself. It is a framework for regional peace and prosperity to which we wish to contribute—and defend."

In Timor-Leste, the official accession ceremony will be marked by celebrations in all municipal capitals, with a highlight being the central ceremony in Dili, which will take place on Sunday, October 26, at 5:30 p.m., in Jardim do Largo Lecidere. The event will be attended by several members of the Government, representatives of the diplomatic corps, and international partners. The program includes the performance of the National Anthems of Timor-Leste and ASEAN, speeches by the Ambassador of Malaysia to Timor-Leste, the country that holds the ASEAN Chair in 2025, and the Vice-Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Affairs, as well as the broadcast of Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão's speech at the official accession ceremony.