PHNOM PENH: Prime Minister Hun Sen has expressed support in accepting Timor-Leste to join the ASEAN. It has been aspiring to become a part of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations since 2011. Timor-Leste achieved formal independence on 20 May 2002. Its independence resulted from the UN-sponsored referendum in August 1999.

 The Cambodian Prime Minister has said, “At this point Cambodia, I would like to call all the ASEAN members to understand the hard work that Timor-Leste has done. It has been in such a long period that Timor-Leste is ready to join ASEAN through the reopening of every embassy across ASEAN while it seems like most of the ASEAN members did not see the hard work that Timor-Leste had done.”

Prime Minister Hun Sen has added that within the framework of geopolitical competition, and the ASEAN still refuses Timor-Leste, then this will be the problem that they are going to be worried about - in which Timor-Leste will join another regional organisation instead of ASEAN.

 He has concluded his speech saying, “So, I would like to ask all of the ASEAN members to accelerate our political decision to accept Timor-Leste into our ASEAN framework.” The Prime Minister has delivered this keynote during his attendance on the 38th and 39th ASEAN Summits which started on Tuesday until Thursday.