Timor Leste Reiterates Readiness To Join ASEAN

By Mohd Iswandi Kasan Anuar JAKARTA, July 14 (Bernama) -- Timor Leste has informed the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) that the country is committed, and stands ready, to become a member of ASEAN. The country reiterated this during ASCC’s fact-finding mission to Dili on July 6-8 to observe the real condition on the ground concerning socio-cultural related issues, according to the ASEAN Secretariat. The Secretariat, in a statement published on its website, said the mission was held under the leadership of the Senior Officials Committee for the ASCC (SOCA), chaired by Dr Dy Khamboly from Cambodia. "With this mission completed, the ASCC Assessment Report will be prepared for SOCA's consideration and subsequent submission to the ASEAN Coordinating Council," the statement read. The delegation comprised member states’ officials from the SOCA, ASCC sectoral bodies, Permanent Missions of Member States to ASEAN, and the ASEAN Secretariat. At the meeting, the delegates commended Timor Leste's progress in socio-cultural development and welcomed its participation in ASEAN non-policy-making activities for capacity-building purposes. ASEAN Secretariat also pointed out that the ASEAN Economic Community is planning to conduct its mission in July. The ASEAN Political-Security Pillar community had conducted the fact-finding mission in September 2019. Timor Leste had officially applied for ASEAN membership in March 2011. -- BERNAMA