State PCS - JAMMU & KASHMIR (JKAS)

• 27 Oct 2025

East Timor Becomes 11th Member of ASEAN

Why in News

East Timor (Timor-Leste) has officially become the 11th member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) after a 14-year wait.

• The formal induction took place at a ceremony in Kuala Lumpur, marking ASEAN’s first expansion since the 1990s.

Key Points

• About: East Timor applied for ASEAN membership in 2011, was granted observer status in 2022, and achieved full membership in 2025 after a 14-year wait.
  • The last country to join ASEAN was Cambodia in 1999.
• Impact: Membership will enable East Timor to participate in ASEAN’s free trade agreements, access investment opportunities, and expand its presence in a broader regional market.
• About East Timor (Timor-Leste):
  • East Timor, also known as Timor-Leste, is bounded by the Timor Sea to the southeast, the Wetar Strait to the north, the Ombai Strait to the northwest, and western Timor (part of the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara) to the southwest.
  • East Timor comprises the eastern half of Timor Island, the western half of which is part of Indonesia.
  • East Timor, colonised by Portugal in the 18th century, was annexed by Indonesia in 1975 after Portugal withdrew, leading to a long struggle for independence.
  • In a 1999 UN-supervised referendum, East Timorese voted for independence, which led to further violence until peace-keeping forces intervened, and the country was officially recognised by the UN in 2002.

ASEAN

Founded: By signing the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) (1967)

Founding Members: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand

Secretariat: Indonesia, Jakarta

Chairmanship: Rotates annually (Currently Malaysia)

ASEAN Summit Meetings: Occur biannually