Source: FN
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc agreed to support Timor-Leste to become ASEAN member in the near future, addressing at the Vietnam-Cambodia Investment and Trade Promotion Conference on Friday in Ha Noi, Viet Nam.
“We agree to support Timor-Leste to join ASEAN in the future. With Timor Leste’s efforts, ASEAN leaders should welcome Timor-Leste to become an ASEAN member and, perhaps, it is the most appropriate time for Timor-Leste to attend a meeting to be held in the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam in 2020,” the premier stated.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok by the five original member countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Brunei Darussalam joined on 8 January 1984, Vietnam on 28 July 1995, Laos and Myanmar on 23 July 1997, and Cambodia on 30 April 1999.
With overall population of approximately 600 million, ASEAN is now playing an important role in regional and international stage.