RI supports Timor Leste’s ASEAN bid: Marty

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 05/04/2011

Indonesia will strongly support Timor Leste’s application to join ASEAN this year, Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa said on Wednesday.

“The issue of ready or not ready is relative. You don’t want to be overly perfect because in that case we will not get things done,” Marty told The Jakarta Post.

“We have to have them onboard, so we grow together,” Marty added.

Marty said that Indonesia had formally received Timor Leste’s application to join ASEAN

“Timor Leste was kind enough to submit its application while Indonesia is chairing ASEAN. There’s a powerful symbolic and political significance to that,” he said.

Marty said Timor Leste was an undeniable part of Southeast Asia - geographically, politically and economically.

“It is everyone’s interest when we talk about the family of Southeast Asian countries to have everyone on board,” he said.

The admission of Timor Leste would require a consensus among ASEAN’s member states, Marty said.

“It is a discussion that we need to have.” (swd)

Related Article:

Timor Leste in ASEAN: Sooner rather than later