She expressed her belief that Timor-Leste's role in ASEAN meetings and policy formation should be expanded as a key step toward strengthening regional integration.
"I believe it is time for Timor-Leste to participate in substantive discussions and the shaping of ASEAN priorities," she said, according to a statement released by the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
At the meeting, which focused on the ASEAN institutional process ahead of the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits on October 9, Marsudi stressed the need for a special support unit for Timor Leste to be established at the ASEAN Secretariat.
This unit would aim to facilitate key achievements outlined in the road map for Timor-Leste’s full ASEAN membership, she added.
Marsudi also highlighted the importance of strengthening Timor-Leste's institutional and technical capacities, allowing the country to actively contribute to ASEAN’s development across its three pillars: security, economic, and sociocultural linkages.
In closing, Marsudi expressed her appreciation for Laos' chairmanship this year, praising its efforts in maintaining ASEAN's ongoing work. She also reiterated Indonesia's support for Malaysia, the upcoming ASEAN chair.
Last year, Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta set a target for his country to gain full ASEAN membership by 2025.
Timor-Leste was accepted in principle as ASEAN’s 11th member during the Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in November 2022. The road map for its full membership was agreed upon at the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo in May 2023.
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Translator: Nabil Ihsan, Yashinta Difa
Editor: Anton Santoso
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