(AseanAll) — The President of Timor-Leste, José Ramos-Horta, delivered a Policy Speech for the first time at the ASEAN Headquarters in Jakarta, ahead of the official designation of his country as the 11th member of ASEAN at the 47th Summit on August 1, 2025.
The historic speech by Ramos-Horta themed "Democracy, Development, and Future of ASEAN" was organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Indonesia to ASEAN, and the ASEAN Secretariat. The Policy Speech was opened by the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Arrmanatha Nasir, and the Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn.
In his opening remarks, the Indonesian Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Arrmanatha Nasir, reaffirmed Indonesia's full support for Timor-Leste's aspiration to become a full member of ASEAN and committed to continuing to facilitate Timor-Leste's smooth and successful accession to ASEAN.
"For Indonesia, Timor-Leste is not just a neighbour but an important partner for growth and development in the region," emphasized Indonesia's Vice Foreign Minister, Arrmanatha Nasir.
The ASEAN Secretary-General, in his speech, also expressed appreciation for the organization of this meeting, reaffirming ASEAN's commitment to supporting Timor-Leste.
The President of Timor-Leste, José Ramos-Horta, in his Policy Speech, expressed appreciation for the warm welcome in Jakarta. He outlined the long process of strengthening relations with Indonesia, emphasizing that peace and good relations are the main foundations of Timor-Leste's development. President Ramos-Horta also stated that after 23 years of independence, Timor-Leste is in a state of peace, politically stable, and has a relatively developed economic position with low foreign debt.
"Timor-Leste greatly appreciates Indonesia's active role in supporting Timor-Leste's full membership in ASEAN through capacity-building programs and technical cooperation," said President Ramos-Horta.
Ramos-Horta hopes that ASEAN can play a role as a conflict prevention mechanism to maintain stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
President Ramos-Horta's Policy Speech at the ASEAN Headquarters is part of a series of activities during his visit to Indonesia, which began with the Annual Lecture at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta (31/7), where President Ramos-Horta was the speaker.
