KUALA LUMPUR: It is a national and strategic priority for Timor-Leste to become an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) member.
Stressing this, Timor-Leste ambassador Joana Veneranda Amaral said such an initiative was well prepared and had become a guiding principle for its foreign policy.
"It is the dream of our people and the political leaders. Integration into Asean will give a positive impact for us because the Southeast Asian region is more economically dynamic in the world.
"Timor-Leste has been an active contributor to the Asean region that is populated with 620 million people and a gross domestic product of over US$3 trillion.
"Becoming an Asean member will provide Timor-Leste a strong catalyst for growth among its businesses and entrepreneurs," she told The New Straits Times.
Joana pointed out that Asean was the largest exporter to Timor-Leste, with Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam as the leading nations.
"Singapore alone is the largest single investor with an investment of over U$D21 billion worth of projects.
"Indonesia companies have also invested over U$D1.2 billion in some 18 projects," she revealed.
Joana added that the time was right for Timor-Leste to become an Asean member, so as to actively participate in various programmes in the region.
"We seriously need a timeline that we can focus on, to reach our objectives," Joana said.
She listed four key criteria for Timor-Leste to join Asean.
The first of which was that geographically, her country was located in Southeast Asia.
"Timor-Leste has been recognised by all the Asean countries and we have opened embassies in each of them.
"We have also signed an agreement on 'Amity and Cooperation' along with numerous key initiatives and the Asean Charter," she said.
Joana said Asean remained Timor-Leste's largest export market and her country wanted to explore the opportunity for further cooperation.
Timor-Leste, she said, was a member of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries that includes Angola, Brazil, Cabo Verde (Cape Verde), Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Portugal, and São Tomé and Príncipe.
Should Timor-Leste become an Asean member, Joana pointed out how it could play a lead role in decision-making on matters concerning conflicts among the G7-Plus grouping.
"Timor-Leste's membership (with Asean) will also reinforce Asean's stand in Southeast Asian regional affairs, at a time of growing concerns around regional hegemony and multipolarity," Joana said.
She welcomed Asean chair, Cambodia's effort in pushing for the Timor-Leste into the regional fold.
Joana said they were delighted and grateful to Cambodia for the initiative as the Asean chair.
This year was the 11th anniversary of Timor-Leste's formal submission to join the Asean family of nations.
"Timor-Leste has taken great strides in readying itself for the demands of as a fully participating Asean member. "Timor-Leste is ready, while acknowledging that there are likely to be technical and other integrative challenges on the path ahead.
"As a nation, we are ready whenever Asean leaders are ready to welcome and accommodate Timor-Leste's aspiration as its newest member.
"While we recognise that there may be some insurmountable challenges ahead, but as a nation Timor-Leste is fully committed to contributing all available resources and capabilities to dignify Asean's success," Joana said.
Asean was established in Bangkok, Thailand on Aug 8, 1967 by its founding fathers – Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
The other nations in the ten-member fold are Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.
Should it become a reality, Timor-Leste – which gained independence from Indonesia on May 20, 2002 - will become Asean's 11th member.
Timor-Leste joined the Asean Regional Forum in 2005 and officially applied for Asean membership on March 4, 2011.
Recently, Cambodia had initiated a meeting to facilitate a fact-finding mission to Timor-Leste on the political and security pillars there.
A physical mission is expected to follow suit when the public health situation was conducive, to speed up Indo-Pacific nation's entry into the bloc.
The 15,007sq km Timor-Leste, whose capital is Dili, comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse.
It is surrounded by Indonesia's West Timor.
It was colonised in the 16th century and known as Portuguese Timor until Nov 28, 1975 when the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (Fretilin) declared the territory's independence. Nine days later, it was invaded and occupied by Indonesia' as its 27th province the following year.
The Indonesian occupation of East Timor was characterised by a violent, decades-long conflict between separatist groups (especially Fretilin) and the Indonesian military.
In 1999, following the United Nations-sponsored act of self-determination, Indonesia relinquished control of the territory.