The Timor-Leste Ambassador to ASEAN, H.E. Ambassador Natércia Cipriana Coelho da Silva, attended an Ambassadorial Lecture at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (Fisipol UGM), on Monday (Dec. 1). Speaking in the Dean’s Meeting Room of Fisipol UGM, Ambassador Natércia presented her country’s long journey toward becoming the 11th member of ASEAN at the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur on Oct. 26, 2025.
In her opening remarks, Ambassador Coelho da Silva emphasized that Timor-Leste’s accession process was a long-term diplomatic endeavor that began well before independence.
“Timor-Leste’s process of joining ASEAN was neither short nor new. It has always been a priority of our national policy, and we began this process long before the 1970s. By 2002, after our independence, ASEAN became one of the main priorities of our foreign policy,” she explained.
She reiterated ASEAN’s fundamental values of unity, mutual respect, and consensus. According to Ambassador Coelho da Silva, consensus serves as a dialogic mechanism that allows member states to find common ground.
“We may not achieve everything we want, but we will arrive at a point where we agree to disagree, because we know that to move forward, we must work together,” she said.
Ambassador Coelho da Silva also highlighted Timor-Leste’s capabilities, including extensive experience in peacebuilding, democratic governance, and post-conflict reconciliation, values aligned with ASEAN’s rules-based, people-centred vision.
With more than half of its population under the age of 25, Timor-Leste sees its youth sector, natural resources, and expanding private sector as strategic opportunities to deepen regional cooperation in trade, investment, and innovation.
She further underscored Timor-Leste’s identity as a Lusophone nation, with strong cultural and economic ties to Portuguese-speaking communities across the world.
“We can serve as a bridge for ASEAN to engage with Portuguese-speaking communities worldwide,” she noted.
Concluding the session, Ambassador Coelho da Silva described ASEAN membership as a new phase in Timor-Leste’s diplomatic journey. She affirmed her country’s readiness to contribute actively to strengthening regional centrality and stability.
Moving forward, Timor-Leste is committed to fully implementing its ASEAN membership and expanding regional cooperation.
Author/Photographs: Fisipol UGM
Editor: Triya Andriyani
Post-editor: Salma