East Timor wants to join ASEAN, SPF: Ramos Horta<\/p>\n
BANGKOK (AFP): East Timor will seek membership of both the
\nAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the South
\nPacific Forum (SPF) after it gains full independence, leader Jose
\nRamos Horta said on Friday.<\/p>\n
He said East Timor, which is undergoing a transition to
\nnationhood after voting last year to end 24 years of Indonesian
\nrule, would like to join ASEAN for \"geographic and strategic
\nreasons.\"<\/p>\n
But he also said that the world's newest nation has
\n\"tremendous affinities with the countries of the South Pacific,
\nso I hope we could be able to join both.\"<\/p>\n
Ramos Horta, tipped to be East Timor's foreign minister when a
\ngovernment is constituted after two to three years of UN
\nsupervision, said he would appeal to both organizations to allow
\nhis country to join.<\/p>\n
He is in Bangkok as an official guest of the Thai government,
\nwhich hosts the annual ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting next
\nweek.<\/p>\n
The Nobel laureate said the issue of membership will be put to
\nthe East Timorese people in a referendum after elections for a
\nparliament next year.<\/p>\n
\"But if we have to make a choice, I believe the people of East
\nTimor will prefer to join ASEAN,\" he told reporters.<\/p>\n
Ramos Horta has criticized ASEAN in the past, when Indonesia
\ndominated the grouping, but Friday praised its support during the
\ntransition period.<\/p>\n
\"ASEAN countries so far have given us tremendous assistance
\nwithin their limitations,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Command of the UN peacekeeping forces in East Timor passed
\nthis week from the Philippines to Thailand -- both ASEAN members.
\nOther member nations are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos,
\nMalaysia, Myanmar, Singapore and Vietnam.<\/p>\n
It still unclear whether East Timor's membership will be on
\nthe agenda during the ministerial meeting here.<\/p>\n
But in February, Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar
\nsaid ASEAN had no plans yet to accord East Timor observer status.<\/p>\n
\"When the time comes, we will talk about it. Let us not try to
\nprepare them, let them prepare themselves,\" Syed Hamid said.<\/p>\n
Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid has said he will
\nsupport East Timor's entry into ASEAN should its leaders decide
\nto apply.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/east-timor-wants-to-join-asean-spf-ramos-horta-1447893297",
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