Timor Lorosae will fight to be a member of ASEAN because of the country’s geographical location, said the Foreign Minister of the Transitional Cabinet Jose Ramos Horta.
Horta was responding to the comments of an Indonesian diplomat who said Timor Lorosae cannot be accepted as a member of ASEAN if it also wants to be a member of the South Pacific Forum.
“Our intention to join ASEAN has not changed. I have met with the ASEAN foreign ministers to let them know of our intention to join the grouping. All of them agreed, and we are just waiting for the right time,” said Horta.
To accelerate the process, said Horta, Timor Lorosae is ready to place three diplomats in Jakarta. The diplomats will facilitate communication between the Indonesian government and Timor Lorosae.
“We have a great task ahead of us. The young diplomats will work together with Indonesia and hopefully in due time they will pave the way for an embassy,” added Horta.