Vientiane (FN), Oct. 10 – Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet reaffirmed Cambodia's support for Timor-Leste to become a full member of ASEAN at the earliest.

Samdech Thipadei led a high-level delegation to take part in the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summit and related summits on 8-11 October 2024 in Vientiane.

“Samdech Thipadei also took the opportunity to reaffirm Cambodia's supports for Timor-Leste to become a full member of ASEAN at the earliest and expressed support for any practical or creative approach to this end,” according to the press release seen by Fresh News on Thursday (Oct. 10).

Timor-Leste applied for ASEAN membership in 2011, and the proposal has been under discussion and evaluation for many years, with Cambodia consistently showing support for Timor-Leste's accession as a full member of ASEAN. During the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits, held from 10-13 November 2022 under Cambodia’s chairmanship, it was decided that Timor-Leste would first become an observer before progressing to full membership as ASEAN's 11th member. Timor-Leste has set a target to achieve full ASEAN membership by 2025.
=FRESH NEWS