Asean Summit: Timor-Leste’s entry completes Asean family, says Anwar
Trump attends summit in KL in his first visit to the region since he began his second term
[KUALA LUMPUR] Timor-Leste officially joined the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) as its 11th member on Sunday (Oct 26), as leaders gathered in Kuala Lumpur for the 47th Asean Summit that’s also set to feature the signing of a Thailand-Cambodia peace deal to be witnessed by US President Donald Trump.
Timor-Leste’s accession was formalised through the signing of the declaration on the admission into Asean, marking a historic milestone for the young nation after years of preparations.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Timor-Leste’s entry “completes the Asean family” and reflects the region’s commitment to inclusivity and shared destiny.
“Asean’s strength lies not in uniformity, but in the conviction that respect and reason still bind us together,” Anwar said in his opening remarks at the summit held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
He called on member nations to reinforce cooperation at a time of increasing geopolitical rivalry and economic fragmentation. “Leadership is a choice to renew purpose and chart a course worthy of our people,” he said.
New era begins
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Timor-Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao said his country’s accession marked the fulfilment of a long-held national aspiration and the start of a new chapter in its development.
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“For the people of Timor-Leste, this is not only a dream realised, but a powerful affirmation of our journey – one shaped by resilience, determination and hope,” he said.
Gusmao noted that Timor-Leste has spent more than a decade preparing for membership since submitting its application back in 2011, undertaking institutional reforms and building capacity with the support of Asean member states and partners.
He described the country as “a young democracy born from struggle” that’s now ready to take its place in a regional community defined by cooperation and shared interests.
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He said Timor-Leste joins Asean “with both humility and pride”, fully committed to the bloc’s founding values of mutual respect, peaceful cooperation, unity in diversity and regional solidarity.
Membership, he added, is both a natural alignment rooted in geography and culture and a strategic step for the nation’s future.
Gusmao pledged that Timor-Leste would be a constructive and responsible member, working alongside others to maintain peace, deepen integration and ensure shared prosperity.
Eyes on Trump
Another key focus of the summit was the arrival of US President Donald Trump, who landed in Kuala Lumpur at 10.05 am on Sunday, marking the start of a five-day Asian trip that also includes stops in Japan and South Korea.
This is Trump’s first visit to South-east Asia since he began his second term, having imposed a series of aggressive trade tariffs shortly after taking office in January. It is also the first visit to Malaysia by a US president since Barack Obama’s trip in 2014.
Anwar and Trump are scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting later on Sunday. The discussions are expected to focus on enhancing cooperation in trade and investment, defence and security, and people-to-people ties, under the framework of the Malaysia-US Comprehensive Partnership.
Both leaders are also expected to exchange views on regional and international developments and witness the signing of agreements on trade and security cooperation.
Malaysia and the US have maintained longstanding diplomatic ties since 1957. The US remains one of Malaysia’s largest trading partners and investors, with total trade amounting to RM324.9 billion (S$100 billion) in 2024.
Trump’s visit is expected to further reinforce the partnership and open a new phase in bilateral engagement.
Trump to witness peace accord
One of the highlights of Trump’s short stay in Kuala Lumpur is the witnessing of the signing of the Thailand-Cambodia Peace Agreement on Sunday afternoon, before he attends the 13th Asean-US Summit in the evening.
The agreement follows the deadliest border confrontation between the two Asean neighbours in decades. In July, clashes killed more than 40 people along the Thai-Cambodian frontier, prompting international concern. Washington is understood to have facilitated the diplomatic breakthrough.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet both arrived in KL on Sunday morning.
Anutin’s attendance had been earlier cast into doubt after the passing of Queen Mother Sirikit on Friday. He initially cancelled his trip but later confirmed he would travel to Kuala Lumpur to sign the deal before returning to Thailand.
Asean’s economic and policy priorities
In his speech at the summit, Anwar outlined several initiatives aimed at strengthening the bloc’s resilience and competitiveness, including the upgrading the Asean Trade in Goods Agreement to ease intra-regional trade and expanding the Asean Power Grid with new financing for clean energy transition.
He also spoke about advancing a regional electric-vehicle ecosystem and green industrial development, fast-tracking negotiations on the Asean Digital Economy Framework Agreement by 2026, and establishing the Asean AI Safety Network to ensure responsible technological deployment.
On Myanmar, Anwar reiterated that a sustainable settlement must be “Myanmar-owned and Myanmar-led”, guided by the Five-Point Consensus and continued humanitarian engagement.
“The future of Asean will be written by the choices we make today,” he said.
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