By Linda Khoo
LANGKAWI, Jan 18 (Bernama) -- Timor-Leste's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Bendito dos Santos Freitas, has arrived on the resort island of Langkawi to participate as an observer in the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat (AMM Retreat).
He arrived at the Langkawi International Airport at noon on Saturday, ahead of the retreat scheduled to convene on Sunday.
Having assumed office as Foreign Minister in July 2023, this marks Bendito Freitas's first participation in the retreat as an ASEAN observer.
The AMM Retreat is the first scheduled meeting in the annual ASEAN calendar at the ministerial level under Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship for 2025.
Timor-Leste is currently awaiting the consensus of ASEAN Member States to be accepted as a full member of the regional bloc.
Timor-Leste, which gained independence in May 20, 2022, has formally applied to join ASEAN in 2011.
In November 2022, during the chairmanship of Cambodia, Timor-Leste was in-principle admitted as the 11th member of ASEAN.
The 10 ASEAN member countries agreed to grant observer status to Timor-Leste, allowing its participation in all ASEAN meetings, including the Summit plenaries.
At the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia, in May 2023, ASEAN adopted a roadmap for Timor-Leste’s full membership along with its annexes and encouraged Timor-Leste to intensify its efforts in preparing for full ASEAN membership.
The Heads of State and Government of ASEAN also reaffirmed their support for Timor-Leste in achieving the milestones by providing capacity building assistance and other necessary and relevant support to facilitate its full membership in ASEAN.
Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has also reiterated his full support for Timor-Leste’s accession as a permanent member of ASEAN.
In December last year, during Timor-Leste Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão’s visit to Malaysia, Anwar stated that Malaysia looked forward to welcoming Timor-Leste as a permanent member when it assumes the chairmanship of the regional bloc this year.
-- BERNAMA
