ID :
181401
Wed, 05/11/2011 - 10:48
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/181401
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TIMOR LESTE`S ASEAN MEMBERSHIP BID POSSIBLY FACING LONG
News Focus: TIMOR LESTE`S ASEAN MEMBERSHIP BID POSSIBLY FACING LONG WAIT
By: Ageng Wibowo
Jakarta, May 11 (ANTARA) - Timor Leste`s wish to become a full member of ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) - expressed officially last year - seems to be in a for a long wait before it can actually be fulfilled.
Timor Leste or formerly known as East Timor expressed interest in joining ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) as its eleventh member by 2012 in a proposal submitted to Indonesia as the ASEAN chair last March 2011.
Earlier, at an ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) Retreat held in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa had said Indonesia openly supported Timor Leste`s wish to join ASEAN, and was waiting for the neighboring country`s official request for admission.
"ASEAN now has 10 member countries but we heard that Timor Leste is requesting to join abd we openly support this," Marty Natalegawa said at the event on January 15-17, 2011, attended by eight ASEAN foreign ministers and two undersecretaries from Vietnam and the Philippines representing their countries.
Marty said earlier, Timor Leste had openly expressed its intention to join ASEAN, and also had initiated the application process within this year (2011).
The Timor Leste membership matter had also been discussed in the ASEAN Summit held here at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC) May 7-8, 2011, among other regional problems such as the Thailand-Cambodia conflict, South China Sea disputes and many other topics.
In the ASEAN Summit, the Indonesian Foreign Minister said that Timor Leste`s membership must be decided at the state leaders` level.
"We are not discussing the matter (Timor Leste`s ASEAN membership) thoroughly, but only to mention that Timor Leste had officially applied for membership which is to be decided at the state leaders` level,? he said in a press conference during the ASEAN Summit here on Friday (May 6).
Indonesia`s Supports For Timor Leste
According to Marty, Indonesia had always been supporting Timor Leste`s membership in ASEAN but it needed to be more thoroughly discussed to create a consensus with other ASEAN member countries.
Indonesian ambassador to ASEAN, Ngurah Swajaya, said that under the ASEAN rules on admission of new members, if a country had already submitted an official admission letter, there would be an assessment phase and a meeting among the ASEAN members including an exploratory phase.
Indonesia had also been assisting Timor Leste`s official capacity building by assisting its human and institutional resources in the past four years, Indonesian ambassador to ASEAN, Ngurah Swajaya, said.
"When the initial phase is passed, there will be a consensus to determine if the requesting country is welcome, not to mention the need of every ASEAN member to approve the new membership," Ngurah said.
Timor Leste`s proposal to be an ASEAN member still needs a thorough consideration and attention as the result from the ASEAN Summit.
Therefore, all ASEAN member countries leaders assigned their foreign ministers as the ASEAN coordinating council to discuss the matter and submit recommendations for the state leaders.
These recommendations e will be the ASEAN leaders considerations to approve Timor Leste`s membership application.
Another ASEAN member country that support Timor Leste`s membership besides Indonesia is Cambodia,
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen expressed the support in the main session of ASEAN leaders meeting in the summit.
According to ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan, it is just a matter of time that Timor Leste will be admitted as an ASEAN member country.
"I don`t see any rejection, and now it`s only a matter of time and readiness from both sides," Surin said on Monday (May 9).
"The question is not Timor Leste`s readiness, but does ASEAN have the capacity to digest problems that arise from the membership," Surin said.
Surin said that the ASEAN foreign Ministers had taken note of Timor Leste`s desire by 2012 as their target date, and it will be a collective decision of the ASEAN member states.
"We certainly welcome any interest in ASEAN as it is a sure sign of confidence in the way ASEAN has been cooperating and has achieved our integration and the confidence that we have won from the international community," Surin said.
(T.A050/C/HAJM/a014)
By: Ageng Wibowo
Jakarta, May 11 (ANTARA) - Timor Leste`s wish to become a full member of ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) - expressed officially last year - seems to be in a for a long wait before it can actually be fulfilled.
Timor Leste or formerly known as East Timor expressed interest in joining ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) as its eleventh member by 2012 in a proposal submitted to Indonesia as the ASEAN chair last March 2011.
Earlier, at an ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) Retreat held in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa had said Indonesia openly supported Timor Leste`s wish to join ASEAN, and was waiting for the neighboring country`s official request for admission.
"ASEAN now has 10 member countries but we heard that Timor Leste is requesting to join abd we openly support this," Marty Natalegawa said at the event on January 15-17, 2011, attended by eight ASEAN foreign ministers and two undersecretaries from Vietnam and the Philippines representing their countries.
Marty said earlier, Timor Leste had openly expressed its intention to join ASEAN, and also had initiated the application process within this year (2011).
The Timor Leste membership matter had also been discussed in the ASEAN Summit held here at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC) May 7-8, 2011, among other regional problems such as the Thailand-Cambodia conflict, South China Sea disputes and many other topics.
In the ASEAN Summit, the Indonesian Foreign Minister said that Timor Leste`s membership must be decided at the state leaders` level.
"We are not discussing the matter (Timor Leste`s ASEAN membership) thoroughly, but only to mention that Timor Leste had officially applied for membership which is to be decided at the state leaders` level,? he said in a press conference during the ASEAN Summit here on Friday (May 6).
Indonesia`s Supports For Timor Leste
According to Marty, Indonesia had always been supporting Timor Leste`s membership in ASEAN but it needed to be more thoroughly discussed to create a consensus with other ASEAN member countries.
Indonesian ambassador to ASEAN, Ngurah Swajaya, said that under the ASEAN rules on admission of new members, if a country had already submitted an official admission letter, there would be an assessment phase and a meeting among the ASEAN members including an exploratory phase.
Indonesia had also been assisting Timor Leste`s official capacity building by assisting its human and institutional resources in the past four years, Indonesian ambassador to ASEAN, Ngurah Swajaya, said.
"When the initial phase is passed, there will be a consensus to determine if the requesting country is welcome, not to mention the need of every ASEAN member to approve the new membership," Ngurah said.
Timor Leste`s proposal to be an ASEAN member still needs a thorough consideration and attention as the result from the ASEAN Summit.
Therefore, all ASEAN member countries leaders assigned their foreign ministers as the ASEAN coordinating council to discuss the matter and submit recommendations for the state leaders.
These recommendations e will be the ASEAN leaders considerations to approve Timor Leste`s membership application.
Another ASEAN member country that support Timor Leste`s membership besides Indonesia is Cambodia,
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen expressed the support in the main session of ASEAN leaders meeting in the summit.
According to ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan, it is just a matter of time that Timor Leste will be admitted as an ASEAN member country.
"I don`t see any rejection, and now it`s only a matter of time and readiness from both sides," Surin said on Monday (May 9).
"The question is not Timor Leste`s readiness, but does ASEAN have the capacity to digest problems that arise from the membership," Surin said.
Surin said that the ASEAN foreign Ministers had taken note of Timor Leste`s desire by 2012 as their target date, and it will be a collective decision of the ASEAN member states.
"We certainly welcome any interest in ASEAN as it is a sure sign of confidence in the way ASEAN has been cooperating and has achieved our integration and the confidence that we have won from the international community," Surin said.
(T.A050/C/HAJM/a014)
