The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, through Vice Minister for ASEAN Affairs Milena Rangel, chaired the opening ceremony of the Post-Accession Workshop on Understanding and Implementing Timor-Leste’s Commitments in the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), held on November 4th, 2025 in Dili, under the theme “Beyond Accession – Building Timor-Leste’s National Roadmap for Implementation of the ASEAN Economic Community 2026-2030.” 
In her speech, Vice Minister Milena Rangel emphasised that Timor-Leste’s full membership of ASEAN “marks the beginning of a new chapter for the nation — from accession to implementation”, highlighting the importance of a collective effort guided by an integrated approach across the entire Government and society, through sequential reforms, partnerships, and solidarity.
The three-day workshop is organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation in partnership with the Australian Embassy, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the ASEAN Secretariat, the European Union, and the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA). The aim is to support Timor-Leste’s transition from accession to full implementation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) commitments.
The event gathers experts from ASEAN Member States, including Cambodia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and Vietnam, as well as representatives from Timorese government institutions, the private sector, academia, youth, and civil society, to share experiences and identify priorities in developing the National Roadmap for the Implementation of the AEC 2026–2030.
Inspired by the theme of the Philippines’ ASEAN Chairmanship in 2026 — “Navigating our future, together” — the Vice Minister urged all participants to reaffirm their shared commitment to work hand in hand, enhancing the resilience, prosperity, and solidarity of Timor-Leste and the ASEAN community.