On October 26, 2025, a new flag was hoisted high among the banners of Southeast Asia. It belonged to Timor-Leste, Asia’s youngest nation and, until now, the only country in the region left outside the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). At the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, the small nation—often called East Timor—was officially welcomed as the bloc’s 11th member, ending a 14-year wait and decades of determined advocacy by its leaders.
For Timor-Leste’s president, José Ramos-Horta, the moment was both historic and deeply personal. The 75-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who has been championing ASEAN membership since the 1970s, led the Timorese delegation from Dili to Malaysia for the ceremony. According to Monocle, Ramos-Horta reflected on the long road, saying, “I’ve been pushing for this since 1974.” His efforts, echoed by successive governments and generations of Timorese, finally bore fruit in front of an audience of regional leaders, including Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Timor-Leste’s own Prime Minister, Xanana Gusmão.
The ceremony, held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, saw Timor-Leste’s red and black flag added to the row of ASEAN nations’ colors, drawing applause and—by all accounts—more than a few tears. Prime Minister Gusmão, visibly moved, called the moment “a dream realised,” and described it as “a powerful affirmation of our journey – one marked by resilience, determination and hope.” He added, “This is not the end of a journey. This is the beginning of an inspiring new chapter.”
For ASEAN, Timor-Leste’s accession is a rare piece of uplifting news amid a summit otherwise overshadowed by the civil war in Myanmar and simmering regional tensions. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, whose country currently chairs the bloc, declared that the admission “completes the ASEAN family – reaffirming our shared destiny and deep sense of regional kinship.” The move is widely seen as a crowning achievement of Malaysia’s 2025 chairmanship, according to Al Jazeera.
Timor-Leste’s journey to this point has been anything but straightforward. The country of 1.4 million people endured three centuries of Portuguese colonial rule, a brief and tumultuous independence in 1975, and then a brutal 27-year occupation by Indonesia. Independence was finally achieved in 2002, but the scars of violence and devastation ran deep. The struggle for ASEAN membership, while less bloody, was still arduous. Timor-Leste first submitted its formal application in 2011, only to be told that it lacked the state capacity and infrastructure to meet the group’s demanding requirements. As Monocle reported, Singapore and other members diplomatically argued that the young nation did not yet have the “money or personnel to properly engage with a busy calendar.”
Ramos-Horta, looking back, conceded that the delay may have been a blessing in disguise. “It forced us to increase the pace of our efforts to develop resources, infrastructure and so on,” he acknowledged. “Of course, we have made progress.” The country’s development, though still lagging behind its neighbors, has been significant. Today, Timor-Leste outpaces much of Southeast Asia in press freedom and civil liberties, and its constitution explicitly bans the death penalty—a rarity in the region.
But the challenges remain daunting. Timor-Leste enters ASEAN as its poorest member, accounting for just 0.1% of the bloc’s $3.8 trillion GDP. Its economy, valued around $2 billion, relies heavily on fast-depleting oil and gas reserves. According to Al Jazeera, about 42% of Timorese live below the national poverty line, and nearly two-thirds of the population are under 30. Unemployment and child malnutrition are persistent problems, and the need for economic diversification grows more urgent by the day.
ASEAN membership offers a lifeline. The country now gains access to the bloc’s preferential trade agreements, investment opportunities, and the promise of a broader regional market. Educational exchanges and tourism are also expected to see a boost. Joanne Lin, a senior fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, told Monocle, “A seat at ASEAN’s table gives Timor-Leste legitimacy and recognition as part of the Southeast Asian family. It helps to anchor the country strategically and provide it with huge economic potential.”
There are also opportunities for ASEAN itself. Timor-Leste brings a unique perspective as a young democracy with a vocal commitment to liberal values. Its leaders, including Ramos-Horta and Gusmão, have not shied away from criticizing Myanmar’s military junta and have hosted pro-democracy figures in Dili, even as ASEAN’s tradition of consensus and non-interference has hampered collective action on the crisis.
Still, the road ahead is anything but smooth. Ramos-Horta was quick to temper the celebrations with realism. “It’s not all rosy,” he warned. “There’s the realisation that Timor-Leste’s membership is only the beginning. The next day, after getting over the hangover from the celebration, we will be working even harder than before.” The country faces a daunting to-do list: sweeping reforms in trade, investment protection, land ownership, and fiscal management, just to name a few. As he put it, “A country like Singapore that warned us how much hard work it takes, that said Timor should wait, will probably say ‘We told you!’”
Timor-Leste’s leaders are determined not to let the nation become a burden to the bloc. In a recent interview with Channel News Asia, Ramos-Horta said, “If we can in the future contribute towards strengthening ASEAN mechanisms such as conflict mechanisms, that is key. In each country in ASEAN, we put emphasis on dialogue.” He sees his country’s hard-won experience with conflict and reconciliation as a potential asset for the region, particularly in managing disputes over borders and the South China Sea.
The symbolism of Timor-Leste’s flag finally flying among its neighbors cannot be overstated. For years, a conspicuously empty flagpole stood outside the presidential palace in Dili, waiting for this moment. Now, with the flag raised and the declaration signed, Timor-Leste has taken its place in the Southeast Asian family—an achievement decades in the making, and a new beginning for a nation still finding its footing.
As the celebration fades and the hard work begins, Timor-Leste’s leaders and people face the future with a mix of pride, hope, and sober determination. Their journey into ASEAN is not just a testament to resilience, but a call to action for the next chapter in the nation’s story.