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ADMISSION OF TIMOR LESTE Another milestone at the summit is the admission of Timor-Leste as ASEAN’s 11th member, which was endorsed by ASEAN leaders at the opening of their annual summit on Sunday. Timor-Leste’s formal inclusion marks the end of a 14-year process since its initial application to join the bloc. This is also ASEAN’s first expansion since Cambodia’s admission in 1999. Mr Wong said the admission of Timor-Leste as a member came after the country had “significantly or substantially” met the criteria outlined in a roadmap. The roadmap specifies three working plans on politics and security, economy, and social and cultural ties. “They are the last country in Southeast Asia to come into ASEAN so they, in a way, complete our ASEAN family,” said Mr Wong. But the prime minister also reiterated an earlier point he made that the country’s acceptance into ASEAN is “just the first step”. “They will still need to take steps to integrate their economy with the rest of ASEAN in order to fully maximise the benefits of being part of ASEAN,” he said, noting that Singapore will provide support, such as in the form of capability-building programmes. Following the conclusion of the Malaysia-chaired ASEAN summit, the Philippines will take over the rotating chairmanship for the annual gathering next year, followed by Singapore in 2027. Mr Wong noted Singapore will support the Philippines as the next chair and keep the momentum going in two broad areas. The first is to continue with concrete steps in economic integration and tap into new opportunities in the digital and green economies. The second area is to “create frameworks and forums where ASEAN is at the centre, and (it) can engage with many different external partners”, especially amid a world that is becoming more multi-polar in nature. “Malaysia has made quite a good progress in this direction. I'm sure Philippines will continue, and Singapore will also build on that,” he said.
