Timor-Leste PM Xanana Gusmao visits S’pore ahead of accession into Asean

Timor-Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao is in Singapore from Jul. 13 to 16 for his first official visit since 2013, ahead of Timor-Leste’s accession to Asean in October.

On Jul. 14, Gusmao met with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who hosted him for an official lunch.

Strong bilateral ties

PM Wong toasted the long-standing bilateral ties between the two countries, saying that Singapore was "proud to be a partner of Timor-Leste", even before it's independence.

In 1999, PM Wong said, Singapore was among the first countries to contribute personnel to a multinational task force that provided humanitarian aid and built institutions for Timor-Leste while it was still under Indonesian occupation.

He added that relations with Timor-Leste have since strengthened, noting expanded economic links and a mutual visa waiver agreement between the two countries, as well as the opening of a Singaporean embassy in the Timorese capital last year.

Launch of eSTARS package

Gusmao also witnessed the launch of an enhanced Singapore-Timor-Leste Asean Readiness Support (eSTARS) package – a technical assistance package customised for Timor-Leste under the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP).

The original STARS package, launched in 2002, comprised capacity-building programmes to help Timor-Leste develop its human resources, equipping its officials with the knowledge and skills required for Asean membership.

As noted by PM Wong, courses under the SCP have trained over 1,100 Timorese officials since 2002, in areas such as public administration, language and communication.

With Timor-Leste on track to become the 11th Asean member, the new eSTARS package will support its accession to Asean’s key economic agreements and its integration into the bloc.

The package will also include tailored programmes and postgraduate scholarships to develop the country’s next generation of leaders.

The eSTARS package is set to run from July 2025 to December 2028.

Accession to Asean

With a population of 1.3 million, the Southeast Asian nation formally applied for membership in 2011 and was granted observer status at the 2022 Asean Summit in Cambodia.

At the 58th Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, which took place the week before Gusmao’s visit, member states reaffirmed their commitment to expedite documentation for Timor-Leste’s full membership in the regional bloc in time for the upcoming Asean Summit in October, Bernama reported.

However, media reports have stated that Myanmar informed Malaysia, the Asean chair, that it will not support Timor-Leste’s accession to the regional bloc.

Speaking to reporters on Jul. 11, Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan assured that he was optimistic the issue would be resolved.

“Wait for announcements over the next few weeks or months,” he said. “I am reasonably confident that this will be resolved, and that Timor-Leste will be able to accede to Asean by the time the Summit comes around in October this year.”

Other activities

While in Singapore, Gusmao will also be delivering a public lecture at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

Additionally, he will gather insights for Timor-Leste’s development during his visits to the Housing & Development Board, an energy-from-waste plant and the Singapore Oceanarium that is slated to open in late July.

Top image via Facebook/Lawrence Wong