October 23, 2025
MANILA – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Wednesday vowed to guide Timor-Leste in biodiversity and anti-human trafficking and other key areas ahead of the latter’s formal entry into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) this month.
DFA Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro, who welcomed Timor-Leste Foreign Minister Bendito Dos Santos Freitas on Wednesday in his working visit to the country, said that the Philippines has expressed its willingness to provide technical support to Timor-Leste, which is set to become Asean’s 11th member state.
READ: Timor-Leste to be granted full Asean membership in October
Among the Philippines’ initiatives for capacity building includes conducting workshops on the implementation of Asean biodiversity framework as well as the Asean Convention against Trafficking in Persons.
“This builds upon prior technical assistance provided to Timor-Leste and the ongoing discussions to more fruitful initiatives,” said Lazaro.
The Philippines will also play a crucial role in welcoming Timor-Leste into the Asean fold as the former has been designated to the chair of the Asean in 2026.
With this incoming role of the Philippines, Lazaro said that the country would work with TImor-Leste in facilitating an “inclusive” and people-centered integration.
“I am confident that the Philippines and Timor-Leste will be able to build upon the positive momentum that we were able to gain through our productive engagements in recent years,” the DFA chief noted.
Aside from the Philippines, current member states of the Asean bloc, which was formed in August 1967, are Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia. /das