The government of East Timor has launched a high-level meeting to discuss how its accession to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations can deliver concrete economic and development results.
The meeting, which runs until Friday, aims to explore how East Timor can make the implementation of ASEAN economic agreements more attractive for investment and trade, said Vice Minister for ASEAN Affairs Milena Rangel.
“We are analyzing the current situation, how we can better integrate into the region, and what we need to do. We are looking at the commitments we assumed before joining and how we implement the economic agreements we are already part of,” she said.
The discussions focus on accelerating economic integration to generate benefits for the country, its population, and the private sector.
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The high-level policy dialogue is being held in partnership with the Asian Development Bank and ASEAN, bringing together government officials, representatives from member states, development partners, and private sector stakeholders.
Scott Morris, vice-president of the Asian Development Bank for the region, highlighted that East Timor is joining ASEAN at a decisive moment.
“Across the region, we face growing geopolitical uncertainty, increased economic fragmentation, accelerating climate risks, and rapid technological transformation,” he said.
According to Morris, these dynamics will test ASEAN’s resilience but also create opportunities to strengthen regional cooperation, diversify supply chains, and accelerate green and digital transitions.
“By working closely with its ASEAN neighbors, East Timor can turn these shared challenges into opportunities,” he added.
With access to a market of around 680 million people, ASEAN membership is seen as a major opportunity to accelerate East Timor’s economic transformation, particularly in a country where the private sector remains small and concentrated in low-productivity activities.
