Could East Timor be new ally for Philippines as Manila prepares to chair Asean in 2026?
By Sam Beltran
With East Timor’s entry into Asean as its 11th member, the youngest country in the region may become a key partner and new ally for the Philippines as Manila gears up to lead the bloc as chair in 2026.
Before Sunday’s accession ceremony at the 47th summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Kuala Lumpur, East Timor and the Philippines have taken steps to deepen bilateral ties for years, including a three-day visit of Dili’s Foreign Affairs Minister Bendito Dos Santos Freitas to Manila last week.
Dili’s Asean membership comes amid growing geopolitical and economic uncertainties, including the ongoing trade war between the United States and China.
The accession of East Timor, also known as Timor-Leste, to the bloc was the culmination of a hard-fought journey, after it first applied for membership in 2011 and gained independence from Indonesia in 2002.
The country’s Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao said in an emotional speech in the Malaysian capital on Sunday that it was “not only a dream realised, but a powerful affirmation of our journey”.
Joefe Santarita, professor and former dean of the University of the Philippines Diliman’s Asian Centre, told This Week in Asia: “East Timor’s position between Southeast Asia and the Pacific makes it a potential logistical and diplomatic bridge between Asean and Pacific Island nations.
Source : SCMP