The Vice-Minister for ASEAN Affairs, Milena Rangel, as leader of Timor-Leste’s Senior Officials ‘Delegation, participated in the ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM), chaired by Sri Amran Mohamed Zin, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia and Permanent Secretary and leader of Malaysia’s SOM. The meeting took place on January 18th, 2025, at the Langkawi International Convention Centre in Langkawi, Malaysia. 
This was the first meeting of senior officials held under Malaysia’s chairmanship of ASEAN in 2025. During the meeting, priority topics were discussed, including the goals and initiatives of the Malaysian chairmanship, ASEAN’s external relations and the implementation of Timor-Leste’s Roadmap for Full Membership of the organization. 
In her speech, Vice Minister Milena Rangel congratulated Malaysia on its presidency and expressed Timor-Leste’s full support for the objectives outlined. She also expressed her appreciation for the continued support of ASEAN Member States in the implementation of Timor-Leste’s Roadmap for Full Membership, highlighting the progress achieved to date. He reiterated Timor-Leste’s commitment to accede to ASEAN’s legal instruments under the priority of the roadmap and looked forward to continuing to rely on ASEAN’s guidance in the subsequent steps of this process. 
The evening before the meeting, on January 17th, 2025, the Vice Minister attended the Welcome Dinner hosted by Sri Amran Mohamed Zin at the Breeze Lounge at The Westin Langkawi. The event provided an informal setting for exchanging ideas and strengthening relations between ASEAN SOM leaders.