Key facts
- East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta will speak at Nikkei's Future of Asia forum in Tokyo on June 11.
- The forum aims to discuss regional cooperation amidst global volatility.
- East Timor is preparing to officially join ASEAN as its 11th member.
- Ramos-Horta has been a long-time advocate for East Timor's ASEAN membership, dating back to the 1970s.
- The country's accession is viewed as a crucial step for attracting international investment and fostering regional integration.
East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta is set to deliver a speech on the second day of Nikkei's annual Future of Asia forum in Tokyo on June 11. The conference brings together regional leaders to discuss cooperation in a volatile global landscape. Ramos-Horta's participation comes as East Timor prepares for its formal accession to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Sunday in Kuala Lumpur, marking the culmination of a diplomatic effort that began in 2011. This accession is considered a significant milestone for the nation, symbolizing its emergence from a difficult past and opening doors for international investment and regional integration.
Ramos-Horta, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and one of East Timor's founding fathers, has been a vocal proponent of joining ASEAN for decades, even floating the idea in the 1970s. He described the journey from independence in 2002 to the present as a transition from 'hell' to 'heaven.' The country's path to membership was arduous, with initial applications in 2011 faltering due to concerns about state capacity. However, Ramos-Horta believes this delay ultimately allowed East Timor to develop its resources and infrastructure.
Membership in ASEAN is expected to provide East Timor with greater legitimacy, a strategic anchor, and significant economic potential, including access to preferential trade agreements and increased opportunities for investment and tourism. Ramos-Horta also recently addressed the Shangri-La Dialogue, advocating for the South China Sea to be declared a zone of peace and touching upon the crisis in Myanmar.