Speaking to the press , after accompanying President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in receiving Timor Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao at the State Palace here on Tuesday, Marty said Timor Leste`s accession to ASEAN would impact on the target for the realization of ASEAN Connectivity in 2015.
He said Timor Leste was geographically and geopolitically part of South East Asia and therefore its inclusion in ASEAN would only be a matter of time.
"About what some members mean by the best time for Timor Leste to join ASEAN, that is an eventuality but for us it`s better if it happens before 2015," he said.
According to the Indonesian foreign minister, in a bilateral meeting between President Yudhoyono and Prime Minister Gusmao, Timor Leste had reiterated its wish to join ASEAN.
Indonesia supported Timor Leste`s wish but admission of a country into ASEAN membership had to be done by a consensus among all of the association`s member countries, Marty said, adding one of the latter was still opposed to Timor Leste`s admission.
ASEAN now has 10 member countries, namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
(Uu.KR-VFT/HAJM/S012)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
