Timor Leste heads to the polls in parliamentary election
The upcoming poll is the country's fifth parliamentary election since gaining its independence in 2002.
The upcoming poll is the country's fifth parliamentary election since gaining its independence in 2002.
The small island nation’s has waited more than a decade to be an official member of ASEAN since its initial application in 2011.
On the summit’s first day on May 10, Asean adopted a road map that spelt out the steps that Timor-Leste must take so that it can gain full membership to the bloc.
The Timor-Leste economy is largely dependent on the extraction of oil reserves, which account for around 80 per cent of their GDP.
Since gaining independence from Indonesia in 1999, Timor Leste has flourished into one of the more progressive democracies in Southeast Asia.
Dr Ramos-Horta said that it was preferable for his nation to become the 11th official member of Asean in 2023.
The $490 million port at Tibar Bay near the capital Dili is expected to expand trade for Timor Leste, one of the poorest countries in the region.
The bloc will now draw up a roadmap setting out the criteria Timor Leste must hit before being granted full membership.
Some 20 years after it became independent from Indonesia, Timor Leste continues to struggle with poverty and underdevelopment.
The writer says Timor-Leste can turn itself into a trailblazer in participatory eco-sustainability regardless of its membership into ASEAN.