Indonesia backs ASEAN membership for Timor-Leste

Indonesia will fully support Timor-Leste's membership in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and has committed to invest in the country, a senior official said May 9.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, who chaired the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting, said Indonesian President Joko Widodo has welcomed Timor-Leste's Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak to the ASEAN summit for the first time.

Indonesia, this year's rotating chair of leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is hosting the first event of the biannual summit at Labuan Bajo in the Nusa Tenggara region.

Marsudi said in the briefing Widodo stressed the importance of economic cooperation between Timor-Leste and Indonesia. Widodo said the two need to create a bilateral investment treaty and to complete negotiations on land borders. Timor-Leste's Ruak has thanked Indonesia's support for the country's bid to join the regional bloc.

The association agreed in principle to admit Timor-Leste as its 11th member in November 2022.

Marsudi said Widodo has also met with other ASEAN leaders. Widodo and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's meeting focused on efforts to boost bilateral trade to $15 billion by 2028. Both agreed to form a bilateral investment treaty, cooperate in the renewable energy sector and sign a pact on the marine and fisheries industry.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has again invited Widodo to visit his country. Widodo said they need to discuss the importance of sea and land borders between the two countries and the protection of Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia.

Widodo and Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith discussed potential cooperation between the two countries in several areas, including cooperation between Indonesia's power company Perusahaan Listrik Negara and Laos' Electricite du Laos; the procurement of airplanes from Indonesia's Dirgantara Indonesia for Laos' air force, and procurement of trains from Indonesia's Industri Kereta Api for the Petrotrade Laos Public Company. The two leaders also vowed to step up their joint campaign against human trafficking.

Marsudi said ASEAN foreign ministers have discussed efforts to combat human trafficking, online scams and the Myanmar crisis.