The Vice Minister for ASEAN Affairs and Timor-Leste’s Leader for the ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM), Milena Rangel, participated in the 29th ASEAN-Republic of Korea (ROK) Dialogue on May 16th, 2025, held in Bangkok, Thailand. The meeting focused on strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) and discussed progress in various areas of cooperation between the two sides, in the context of the 35th anniversary of ASEAN-ROK dialogue relations, celebrated in 2024. 
During the event, the progress made under the ASEAN-ROK Action Plan 2021-2025 was highlighted, encompassing various areas such as political and security cooperation, trade and investment, digital transformation, tourism, energy, the environment, disaster management, education, culture, youth, and people-to-people exchanges. Both sides expressed high expectations for finalising the next action plan for 2026-2030, which will be adopted by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs from both sides in July 2025 during the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference with the Republic of Korea. 
In her speech, Vice Minister Milena Rangel reiterated Timor-Leste’s full support for deepening cooperation between ASEAN and the Republic of Korea, emphasising the importance of reinforcing an inclusive and rules-based regional order. The Vice Minister underscored the significance of enhancing collaboration in key areas such as economic development, sustainability, and socio-cultural exchanges, particularly as Timor-Leste approaches full membership in ASEAN.
“Timor-Leste is ready to deepen the relations with all ASEAN Member States and its partners, including the Republic of Korea,” said Milena Rangel. 
South Korea expressed its support for Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship and this year’s priorities, with the theme ‘Inclusion and Sustainability.’ During the meeting, the commitment to strengthen the strategic partnership was reaffirmed, with a particular focus on trade, updating the ASEAN-ROK Free Trade Agreement (AKFTA), digital transformation, cybersecurity, clean energy, smart cities, climate change, and education.
Both sides agreed to continue promoting practical cooperation in the four priority areas of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP), in accordance with the Joint Statement on Cooperation under the AOIP adopted at the 24th ASEAN-ROK Summit in 2023.
The meeting participants also discussed pertinent international and regional issues, including the situation on the Korean Peninsula, in the South China Sea, Myanmar, Ukraine, and the Middle East. Both sides emphasised the importance of enhancing cooperation during times of global uncertainty, highlighting the need to uphold multilateralism and a system of open and free trade. 
The 29th ASEAN-ROK Dialogue was co-chaired by Eksiri Pintaruchi, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, and Chung Byung-won, the Vice Minister for Political Affairs of the Republic of Korea. Senior officials from ASEAN Member States, including the ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General for Political and Security Community, attended the meeting. Timor-Leste participated as an observer, reinforcing its commitment to the regional integration process and furthering its relations with the Republic of Korea.