On 2 September 2025, from 9:00-11:30am, at CAM-ASEAN Foreign Language School (Toul Kork Branch), the Cambodian Center for Regional Studies (CCRS) and the US-ASEAN Young Professionals Association (UAYPA) co-organized a panel discussion on “ASEAN’s Expansion from Cambodia to Timor-Leste: Evolving Regional Identity, Consensus, and Conflict Resolution in a Transforming Region”. About 70 participants took part in this event, ranging from government officials, members of diplomatic corps, academia, civil society, think tankers and young university students. The event was supported by CAM-ASEAN Foreign Language School (Toul Kork Branch).
This event aims to commemorate the Timor-Leste’s upcoming accession to ASEAN by discussing how ASEAN and its members including Cambodia can support Timor-Leste’s national development, regional integration, and potential positive contributions for the regional bloc’s community building efforts. Timor-Leste’s journey into ASEAN is instructive and regional integration is a process that must balance national identity with collective purpose, historical trauma with forward momentum, and sovereignty with solidarity.
In his special address, H.E. Marcos dos Reis da Costa, Ambassador of Timor-Leste to Cambodia, reflected Timor-Leste’s journey to be a part of ASEAN, and its commitment to the regional bloc. He recounted the arduous process that Timor-Leste has undertaken to become the soon-to-be 11th member of ASEAN. Timor-Leste is committed to standing ready to engage and contribute positively in ASEAN-led processes as the next ASEAN member including enhancing regional peace and stability, advocating values such as democracy and human rights, promoting regional economic integration, and foster ASEAN community building efforts. Amb. Costa mentioned the mixed regional mood regarding the impacts of Timor-Leste’s admission into ASEAN. He noted that the admission of Timor-Leste, in spite of existing challenges, with the support of ASEAN member countries and its dialogue partners it will bring certain benefits, leverage, and opportunities for both Timor-Leste and ASEAN.
Delivering his keynote remarks, H.E. Dr. Vong Meng, Undersecretary of State of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Cambodia, emphasized Cambodia’s strong commitment towards ASEAN and its Community Vision 2045. Cambodia stands ready to contributing positively with other ASEAN members to develop ASEAN community to be resilient, innovative, dynamic and people-centered. He stated the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 is not just a document but it is a call to action to transform ASEAN to be a global beacon of hope and progress. Cambodian is strongly committed to this important endeavor.
Amb. Pou Sothirak delivered an opening statement to stimulate this roundtable. This discussion aims at discussing the future prospect of the Timor-Leste’s full ASEAN membership this year and how this further enhances the transformation of ASEAN in context of regional identity through the lens of youth engagement, institutional values, and post-conflict inclusion. There are discussions around the institutional challenges that Timor-Leste faces as new member of ASEAN. However, the real question is not whether Timor-Leste is ready for ASEAN, but what ASEAN can make of the 11-membership to galvanize its strategic autonomy and enforce effective centrality in line with its 2045 vision.
H.E. Shaharuddin Onn, Ambassador of Malaysia to Cambodia, shared his thoughts on significance of Timor-Leste’s ASEAN membership, and the importance of ASEAN in enhancing regional peace and prosperity. The admission of Timor-Leste as a full member of ASEAN is a momentous time for ASEAN and for Timor-Leste. Malaysia has always been a firm and committed supporter of Timor-Leste’s ASEAN membership. The expansion of ASEAN should be seen as a natural and organic progression and growth of the regional bloc. There are issues between and among ASEAN member states, but ASEAN has fostered cooperation and understanding between its member states. Some argue that Timor-Leste’s membership will have an impact on overall achievements in ASEAN, particularly in economic and development sphere. It is important to recognize that ASEAN members all start somewhere, and cooperate together with the spirit of good neighborliness. It will be quite difficult to imagine where ASEAN members are and where ASEAN members would be without ASEAN.
Dr. David Koh discussed the importance of national resilience and regional resilience in the context of Timor-Leste’s accession into ASEAN. Each ASEAN country should develop its own resilience in terms of its internal peace and development, and how the national resilience of every country will be added on to the regional resilience of the region. As for national resilience, Timor-Leste will be a new baby in ASEAN. Nevertheless, all ASEAN members were once a baby. It is important for regional countries not to overly rely on foreign aids, and focus on enhancing inclusive development process. Regarding the regional resilience, ASEAN and Timor-Leste need to work together. Timor-Leste has to learn to be at peace with all its neighbors. It is important to explore and get a model whereby can settle disputes with its neighbors so that Timor-Leste can live at peace with its neighbors in accordance with the international law. Lastly, ASEAN can provide the cover for national development and regional support for Timor-Leste. Timor-Leste has to intelligently reconciliate national interests with regional interests.
Mr. Lim Chhay, Designated Deputy Director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, deliberated on challenges of ASEAN’s membership expansion to include Timor-Leste, and how to manage them. Widening development gaps and institutional and human capacity constraints will be key challenges to Timor-Leste’s ASEAN accession. ASEAN must intensify efforts to narrow the gap through regional initiatives such as the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI), and put in place crucial capacity-building programs for Timor-Leste. He made several recommendations for Timor-Leste to consider: ASEAN should initiate scholarship program to raise human capacity for Timor-Leste, offer technical training workshops, through long-term mentorship, assist in digital capacity-building and provide Youth Leadership & Exchange Program, and promote joint research and monitoring initiative that tracks Timor-Leste’s integration progress.
Mr. Him Rotha, Deputy Director of CCRS, shared his perspectives on how ASEAN can support Timor-Leste, and how Timor-Leste can become an active and responsible member of ASEAN, drawing experiences from Cambodia. ASEAN can support small states like Cambodia and Timor-Leste in key areas including providing political and diplomatic platforms to socialize and manage relations with other ASEAN members and external partners, providing normative values such as respect of sovereignty, and serving as a bridge for development opportunities. As for how small states like Cambodia and Timor-Leste can contribute actively to ASEAN, primary elements are enhancing domestic resilience that is crucial for regional resilience, and have a smart, flexible, and independent foreign policy to preserve their strategic autonomy.
Afterward, there was an interesting Q&A session between the distinguished panelists and audience. Questions centered on key aspects included how to ASEAN and Timor-Leste can work together to address challenges of Timor-Leste’s ASEAN memberships, future prospects of ASEAN after Timor-Leste’s accession, utility of ASEAN peaceful dispute settlements and international law, and importance of balancing national and regional interests. The esteemed speakers provided interesting answers to these questions.
At the closing of the program, Amb. Pou Sothirak stated that the panel discussion was a timely and relevant dialogue to exchange views on the anticipated Timor-Leste’s accession into ASEAN. He expressed his thanks to the esteemed panelists and the audience for actively engaging in the discussion.
