Joining Asean or not should not matter to Timor-Leste

Moral authority: Nobel Peace Prize winner Ramos-Horta commands respect, and the international community will certainly now pay more attention to this small island nation, says the writer. – AFP

WITH the landslide election of Jose Ramos Horta as president of one of the youngest democracies in the world recently, Timor-Leste, the moment is ripe for Asean to open its doors and welcome a new member to its family.

Timor-Leste has been waiting for this opportunity for years, with an endless list of meetings and deliberations made so far about this small nation’s quest to join the bloc.