With the victory of his National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT) party in the May 20 elections, and his ability to form a strong coalition with a smaller party, Timor-Leste's independence hero Xanana Gusmao is moving closer to realizing his ambition to integrate the young nation into the globally influential Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), with the strong backing of its former colonizer Indonesia. Initially, other Asean members, notably Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, were reluctant to accept a new member, as it was feared it would slow Asean's quest to establish a regional economic community.

https://opinion.inquirer.net/163567/timor-lestes-asean-integration-will-be-bumpy

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