East Timor’s Accession to ASEAN: A Historic Milestone and New Challenges for Regional Integration

ЮГО-ВОСТОЧНАЯ АЗИЯ: АКТУАЛЬНЫЕ ПРОБЛЕМЫ РАЗВИТИЯ, 2025, №3(68), 205-216

 
Annotation: On October 26, 2025, an epoch-making event took place: Timor-Leste's accession to ASEAN. This is the first expansion of the organization since 1999, bringing the entire Southeast Asia region under its umbrella. However, this step presents a set of new challenges. Both the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta and the East Timor government in Dili must consider the prospects and risks of deepening their institutionalized cooperation. For almost a quarter of a century, the potential risks of accession for both parties outweighed the potential benefits. The purpose of this article is to analyze the changes that led to this decision, as well as to determine the potential role that Dili can play within the Association.

Keywords: East Timor, Timor-Leste, ASEAN, Southeast Asia. integration, problems and challenges