Timor-Leste President Thanks Cambodia for Support in ASEAN Membership

DILI, Timor-Leste, Jan.08,2026 (KPT) — Timor-Leste President José Ramos-Horta has expressed gratitude to Cambodia for its support in the country’s accession to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, calling the move a historic milestone.

In a letter to Cambodia’s Senate President Hun Sen, Ramos-Horta thanked him for his congratulatory message marking Timor-Leste’s admission as ASEAN’s 11th member. He said full membership fulfilled a long-standing national aspiration achieved through sustained efforts, dialogue and regional solidarity.

Ramos-Horta noted Cambodia’s role in the process, recalling that Timor-Leste’s in-principle admission was agreed during the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits hosted by Cambodia. He said Hun Sen’s leadership was decisive in advancing Timor-Leste’s path toward membership.

The president pledged that Timor-Leste would contribute actively to ASEAN’s vision of a cohesive, peaceful and resilient regional bloc, through dialogue, cooperation and sustainable development. He added that ties between Timor-Leste and Cambodia would continue to deepen.

The signing of the Declaration on the Admission of Timor-Leste into ASEAN took place Oct. 26, 2025, at the opening of the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits. The declaration, signed by ASEAN leaders and Timor-Leste’s prime minister, formalized the bloc’s consent to accept Timor-Leste as its newest member.

Timor-Leste applied for ASEAN membership in 2011. In 2022, ASEAN leaders agreed in principle to admit the country, granting it observer status. A roadmap adopted in 2023 guided preparations for full membership, including accession to ASEAN legal instruments and participation in meetings across all three ASEAN Community pillars.