East Timor Joins ASEAN As 11th Member In Landmark Move
October 26, 2025
3:34 am
The tiny Southeast Asian nation of Timor‑Leste (also known as East Timor) officially became the 11th member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at a formal ceremony held on 26 October 2025 in Kuala Lumpur. This milestone was marked by the raising of Timor-Leste’s flag alongside those of the other ten members.
This accession is more than symbolic: for Timor-Leste, it opens the door to ASEAN’s free trade deals, investment flows and membership in a regional market of some 680 million people. Despite its modest economy, estimated at around US $2 billion compared with ASEAN’s collective …
