Putrajaya: Malaysia is committed to enhancing bilateral cooperation with Timor-Leste in various strategic areas and supporting the country's aspiration to become a full ASEAN member. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim discussed these plans during a meeting with Timor-Leste President Dr. Jose Ramos-Horta at his residence in Putrajaya.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Anwar expressed that Malaysia remains dedicated to playing a constructive role in supporting regional integration for shared stability and prosperity. He shared details of the meeting in a Facebook post, highlighting the importance of strengthening the close ties between Malaysia and Timor-Leste.

Anwar also referenced the 46th ASEAN Summit, where Southeast Asian leaders agreed to admit Timor-Leste as the 11th member of the regional bloc at the upcoming ASEAN Summit in October, contingent upon Timor-Leste fulfilling certain outstanding conditions for full membership. The leaders reached a consensus to support Timor-Leste in taking all necessary steps to achieve full membership in the regional bloc.

Timor-Leste, which gained independence in 2002, formally applied to join ASEAN in 2011 and was granted observer status in 2022. The ongoing support from Malaysia is seen as a crucial step towards realizing Timor-Leste's ambitions of joining ASEAN as a full member.