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Joining ASEAN or not should not matter to Timor-Leste
Ramos-Horta commands respect, and the international community will certainly pay more attention to this small island nation, but this might well be feared within ASEAN.
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Candidate for president Jose Ramos Horta gestures as he casts his ballot during the second round of presidential elections in Dili on April 19. (AFP/Valentino Dariel Sousa)
W
ith the landslide election of Jose Ramos Horta as president of one of the youngest democracies in the world, Timor-Leste, the moment is ripe for ASEAN to open its doors and welcome a new member to its family.
Timor-Leste has been waiting for this opportunity for years, with an endless list of meetings and deliberations made so far about this small nation’s quest to join the bloc. So far, however, the leaders of the region have shown neither interest nor respect.
Nevertheless, it is high time for them to prove to have vision and do the right thing: promptly granting Timor-Leste’s full access to the ASEAN family.
It is not that joining this community of nations would be a panacea for the tiny nation.
After all, the ASEAN community is fragmented and divided in multiple ways. Different political systems, different visions and different understandings of the current geopolitical scenario are hampering the process of regional cooperation.
While talking about integration is almost akin to daydreaming in Southeast Asia and forecasting an ambitious evolution of ASEAN just a fantasy, nevertheless, a small country like Timor-Leste could benefit immensely from joining the community.
Imagine the opportunities that would be created: more trade, better connectivity, more people-to-people relations, more tourists and definitely more investments.
