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Timor-Leste made its debut at a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) held on Friday, taking a step closer to full membership.
Friday's agenda was the meeting session of the ASEAN Coordinating Council (ACC), a part of the three-day ASEAN Foreign Ministers Retreat at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta from February 2 to 4.
Timor-Leste was represented by its Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Adaljiza Magno.
It was the first time a Timor-Leste delegation had been present at a foreign ministerial level meeting of ASEAN. The bloc agreed in principle to admit Timor-Leste as its 11th member in November 2022.
"It is an honor and privilege for me to be able to take part for the first time in a historic moment of the ACC meeting under Indonesian leadership," Magno said at the forum.
"We want to take this very opportune moment to thank all ASEAN member countries for their wise decision to accept us," she added.
ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
'Frank' talks on Myanmar
The Myanmar issue would be discussed "in an open, in-depth and frank manner as one family” at the meeting, according to Retno Marsudi, the foreign minister of Indonesia. She added that reducing violence and allowing humanitarian aid would be key to ensuring talks could begin.
Myanmar's current government leaders have been barred from attending high-level ASEAN meetings but representation at other events would continue to be discussed, said Indonesian Foreign Ministry official Sidharto R. Suryodipuro.
Earlier this week Indonesian President Joko Widodo told Reuters he was planning to send a top military general to meet with Myanmar's government officials in an attempt to engage them in talks about a democratic transition.
Myanmar on Wednesday announced the extension of a state of emergency for six more months. The state of emergency was first declared in February 2021, after the military detained former government leaders, including the state counsellor and the president.
(Reuters)
