KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — East Timor’s prime minister pledged Sunday that his country would be a productive member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as it was formally admitted to the bloc in its first expansion since the 1990s.
After the flag of East Timor, also known as Timor Leste, was added to the other 10 on the stage at a formal ceremony in Kuala Lumpur, Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao told the other leaders that “today, history is made.”
“For the people of Timor Leste this is not only a dream realized but a powerful affirmation of our journey,” he said.
The integration of the region’s youngest and poorest nation — with just 1.4 million people — is being hailed as a symbolic step for regional inclusivity.
The little-known nation wedged between Indonesia and Australia was a Portuguese colony for over four centuries before Indonesia’s 1975 invasion.
It struggles with high levels of unemployment and malnutrition, and 42% of the population lives below the national poverty line. Nearly two-thirds of the country’s citizens are under 30 years old, making youth job creation a high priority.
Its major source of government revenues comes from the oil and gas industry but with resources quickly becoming depleted it is looking to diversify.
ASEAN membership gives East Timor access to the bloc’s free trade deals, investment opportunities and a broader regional market.
“For us this new beginning brings immense opportunity in trade, investment, education and the digital economy, — we are ready to learn, innovate and uphold good government,” Gusmao said.
“This is not the end of a journey, this is a beginning of an inspiring new chapter. ”
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