East Timor Formally Joins ASEAN as 11th Member

East Timor, also known by its Portuguese name Timor-Leste, is the youngest country in the region, having gained independence from Indonesia in 2002

xKUALA LUMPUR: East Timor joined the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc as its 11th member state on Sunday, after 14 years of campaigning. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, whose country currently chairs ASEAN, said East Timor's accession "completes the ASEAN family -- reaffirming our shared destiny and deep sense of regional kinship". "Within this community, Timor-Leste's development and its strategic autonomy will find firm and lasting support," Anwar told an ASEAN summit in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur. East Timor, also known by its Portuguese name Timor-Leste, is the youngest country in the region, ha