East Timor Officially Joins ASEAN as 11th Member

East Timor, also known as Timor-Leste, has officially become the 11th member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The announcement was made during the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, where leaders celebrated this historic moment.
The small island nation hopes that joining ASEAN will bring economic growth, trade opportunities, and regional stability for its people.

East Timor Officially Joins ASEAN as 11th Member

Key Points

East Timor (Timor-Leste) has become ASEAN’s 11th member nation.
The announcement took place at the 47th ASEAN Summit held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Leaders present included Malaysia’s PM Anwar Ibrahim, Timor-Leste’s PM Xanana Gusmao, President Jose Ramos-Horta, and China’s Premier Li Qiang.
The nation has a population of 1.4 million and an economy worth around $2 billion.
East Timor’s membership marks the end of a 14-year wait since applying for ASEAN entry.
President Ramos-Horta and PM Gusmao — heroes of Timor-Leste’s independence — called it a dream come true and a new beginning for their country.
The move is expected to help the nation improve trade, investment, and economic integration.
East Timor was under Portuguese rule for 300 years and later occupied by Indonesia, before gaining full independence in 2002.
President Ramos-Horta, a 1996 Nobel Peace Prize winner, first proposed ASEAN membership in the 1970s.
He said East Timor will focus on stability, dialogue, and conflict resolution within the ASEAN community.

Question & Answer

Q1. East Timor recently became the ______ member of ASEAN.
(a) 10th
(b) 11th
(c) 12th
(d) 9th
Answer: 11th

Q2. What is another name for East Timor?
(a) Papua New Guinea
(b) Timor-Leste
(c) Brunei
(d) Solomon Islands
Answer: Timor-Leste

Q3. Where was East Timor’s ASEAN membership officially announced?
(a) Singapore
(b) Jakarta
(c) Kuala Lumpur
(d) Manila
Answer: Kuala Lumpur

Q4. Who is the current President of East Timor?
(a) Xanana Gusmao
(b) Jose Ramos-Horta
(c) Li Qiang
(d) Anwar Ibrahim
Answer: Jose Ramos-Horta

Q5. In which year did East Timor gain full independence?
(a) 1999
(b) 2002
(c) 2005
(d) 2010
Answer: 2002

Q6. What is the approximate population of East Timor?
(a) 10 million
(b) 5 million
(c) 1.4 million
(d) 20 million
Answer: 1.4 million

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