Accession of Timor-Leste to ASEAN
[12][13] Timor-Leste is one of the poorest countries in Asia, facing many challenges including maintaining security, economic development, efforts to combat corruption in the national budget, and being heavily dependent on oil exports, which account for up to 80‒90% of its revenue.
[45] In preparation for accession, the country acceded to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia in January 2007, pledging to renounce the use of force and binding Timor-Leste to non-interference in the internal affairs of ASEAN member states.
[2][50] As months passed, Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão put the brakes on hopes over joining ASEAN in 2011, stating that the country still lacked the necessary "human resources.
[9] Philippine President Benigno Aquino III pledged his country's support to Timor-Leste's ASEAN membership in June 2013.
[56] By September 2013, the ASEAN's Coordinating Council Working Group was still evaluating Timor-Leste's membership application, and Minh said that there was no timeline for when the assessment would be completed.
[57] Singapore pledged that it would not block Timor-Leste's membership in the association but did not explicitly support it, stating that plans for economic integration must not be derailed by the country's accession.
The Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, and Cambodia reiterated Timor-Leste's membership application during the summit, but 6 member states led by Singapore did not support the move.
[10] In 2019, ASEAN formed a fact-finding mission to visit the country in September to determine its readiness in joining the association.
[63][64][65] In 2021, Timor-Leste voted to abstain in a United Nations resolution which aimed to condemn the military dictatorship in Myanmar which ousted the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.
[66] Following his 2022 re-election, Ramos-Horta reiterated the country's desire to join ASEAN, aiming for a 2023 admission when Indonesia is set to chair the organization.
[67] He later criticized the lengthy process of joining the organization, stating that "It seems as if to reach ASEAN, you have to fulfill all the criteria to enter heaven.
[73] A 2018 National Public Opinion Survey by the International Republican Institute, sponsored by USAID, recorded that 76% of East Timorese supported full membership in ASEAN, with 11% having never heard of it, 8% responding 'Don't know/Refused to answer,' and only 5% expressing opposition to joining.
[78] In addition, when Timor-Leste joins ASEAN, it can access to a larger and more dynamic market of over 650 million people and a combined GDP of more than $3 trillion.
[80] First Timor-Leste can benefit from the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), which aims to create a single market and production base, enhance trade and investment, and facilitate the movement of goods, services, capital and people.
Timor-Leste can also leverage the preferential trade agreements that ASEAN has with other major partners, such as China, Japan, India, Australia and New Zealand.
Thus, Timor-Leste can attract more foreign investment, stimulate its economy, diversify its sources of income, boost its human capital and employment, and reduce its poverty and dependence on oil revenues.
[80] For the ASCC, which aims to create a caring and inclusive society that values human development, social welfare, cultural diversity, and environmental sustainability, Timor-Leste can benefit from the ASEAN initiatives and programs that address various socio-cultural issues, such as education, health, gender, youth, disaster management, climate change, and cultural heritage.
[80] According to Professor Damien Kingsbury at Deakin University (Australia), Timor-Leste possesses great potential in tourism, rice, and coffee production, with energy being the most significant aspect.
Joining ASEAN has the potential to further develop the agricultural sector in Timor-Leste, particularly in coffee exports, which can contribute to economic growth.
[82] Timor-Leste also holds a strategic position highly valued by both the United States and China for increasing global influence.
It has access to crucial sea routes leading to Singapore, various Middle Eastern oil fields, and major global trade hubs in East Asia and the North American West Coast through the Australian Continent, including passages like the Malacca, Lombok, and the Sunda Straights.
[83] Membership will allow Timor-Leste to have a stronger and more significant presence on the international stage by joining an organization of 10 member states aiming for "a more coordinated and tightly-knit ASEAN in global issues of common concern."
