The Directorate-General for ASEAN Affairs (DGAA) is the service of the Ministry responsible for guiding, coordinating and implementing the foreign policy of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste relating to ASEAN, promoting, monitoring and supervising the process of accession to that international organization.
Timor-Leste's Ongoing Processes for ASEAN Accession
Three main Priorities of DGAA
- To enhance DGAA’s capacity to coordinate line ministries’ technical readiness for TL-ASEAN accession;
- To Intensify Advocacy on ASEAN both Nationally and Regionally;
- To Strengthen Partnership and Coordination with Relevant Stakeholders for TL- ASEAN Accession.
- 2002; Timor-Leste was recognised as an observer of ASEAN and joined the ASEAN Regional Forum in 2005.
- 2005, Timor-Leste certify aspiration to be a full member of ASEAN by 2010
- In January 2007, the country acceded to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, pledging to renounce the use of force and binding East Timor to non-interference in the internal affairs of ASEAN member states.
- In December 2007 President José Ramos-Horta restated that joining was a top priority, and he hoped to join by 2012
- on 4 March 2011, officially applied for membership in ASEAN
- September 2013, the ASEAN's Coordinating Council Working Group conducting evaluation for Timor Leste's membership application
- In 2015, Timor-Leste officially announced the readiness of joining the association at any time