LABUAN BAJO – Timor-Leste Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak made his debut appearance at the Asean Summit on Wednesday, pledging to undertake the steps in a road map towards full Asean membership for his impoverished country.

“It is a great honour and privilege to participate, for the first time, in this grand summit of Asean leaders,” he told South-east Asian leaders at the Meruorah Komodo Labuan Bajo hotel in the fishing town of Labuan Bajo, in Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara province.

During the Asean Summit in Cambodia in 2022, Timor-Leste was admitted in principle as the 11th member of Asean and granted observer status.

Timor-Leste occupies the eastern part of the island of Timor, at the far eastern tip of the Indonesian archipelago. The island’s western region belongs to Indonesia.

Before it became independent from Indonesia on May 20, 2002, Timor-Leste was one of its provinces, known as East Timor.

“Today, finally, thanks to the actions we have taken, I can stand here as Prime Minister of Timor-Leste and say: Timor-Leste will meet all its obligations for full membership in Asean,” Mr Taur said in a 15 minute-long speech.

Despite being rich in offshore oil and gas resources, Timor-Leste faces major challenges in rebuilding its infrastructure, strengthening civil administration and generating employment for youth who have entered the workforce since independence, according to Indonesia’s Finance Ministry website.

In 2017, Timor-Leste’s gross domestic product stood at US$7.426 billion (S$9.85 billion), and per capita income was US$6,000, according to ministry data.

Mr Taur promised that Timor-Leste is undertaking “necessary steps from our side, focusing on essential infrastructure, in connectivity... (and the) conditions that are necessary and required by the... road map”.

The road map was adopted at the Asean plenary on Wednesday.

The investments that Timor-Leste has so far undertaken include the expansion of the main airport in the capital Dili, and the development of facilities such as restaurants and hotels to attract dignitaries, tourists and investors.

Timor-Leste will also develop strengths in other sectors, from education and health services to green infrastructure and agriculture and fisheries.

Mr Sidharto Suryodipuro, director for Asean cooperation at Indonesia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, said on Monday that the road map contained important elements such as legal instruments, financial contribution schemes, and strengthening the capacity of the Timor-Leste state civil apparatus to prepare the country to be a full-fledged Asean member.

“For full membership, there are various stages that must be approved by Asean as an entity. There are various agreements that must be fulfilled in this road map, such as political, security, economic, socio-cultural aspects,” he said.

“The most complicated aspect is economic as it involves... various trade negotiations that Timor-Leste has to complete with other Asean members.

“This road map will help Timor-Leste understand (its obligations) and help us in terms of (knowing) what to provide in terms of development cooperation.”

For Mr Taur, being a part of the Asean family would offer “vast opportunities for Timor-Leste as a young state of the millennium”.

“My friends, as I stand here before you, we have taken decisive steps to achieve that. We are making Timor-Leste a committed and trustworthy Asean leader,” he said.

“We will remain your unwavering and resolute partner in Asean through the global challenges ahead.”