TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The expansion of ASEAN membership will be one of the main agendas in the 58th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) and Post Ministerial Conference (PMC) to be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on July 8-11, 2025. Two countries of particular interest in these discussions are Timor Leste and Papua New Guinea.
Director General of ASEAN Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sidharto R. Suryodipuro, said Timor Leste already has the opportunity to become a full member of ASEAN. "Timor Leste has been under discussion since 2011, and in principle, has been accepted as the 11th member of ASEAN. Its participation will be gradual," said Sidharto during a press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs complex on Thursday, July 3, 2025.
Meanwhile, Papua New Guinea has begun the process of applying as a new member of the regional bloc. "Papua New Guinea has officially applied for membership in ASEAN," said Sidharto, adding that it will be subject to deliberation during the upcoming ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting.
Papua New Guinea's Membership
According to Sidharto, the discussion on Papua New Guinea's membership will be part of Malaysia's responsibility as the Chair of ASEAN this year. "Looking at previous experiences regarding membership applications, the first thing to discuss is the process itself," he said.
He added that the process will go through several stages, but it is not yet certain whether the mechanism will be the same as Timor Leste. Previously, the proposal and support for Papua New Guinea's membership were conveyed by President Prabowo Subianto in his speech at the 46th ASEAN Summit plenary session in Kuala Lumpur on May 26.
Foreign Minister Sugiono to Attend 19 ASEAN Meetings
Foreign Minister Sugiono is scheduled to attend 19 key meetings as part of the ASEAN AMM and PMC series in Kuala Lumpur. These include major forums such as the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers' Meeting, the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), and several bilateral meetings with partner countries. Sugiono is also scheduled to lead the ASEAN-Australia Ministerial Meeting, as Indonesia is currently the ASEAN Coordinator for Australia.
A total of 34 countries are scheduled to attend this AMM-PMC meeting. In addition to the 10 ASEAN member countries, this forum will also see ASEAN dialogue partners such as China, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Japan, Russia, South Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union.
Some other ASEAN dialogue partner countries that will also attend include Bangladesh, Mongolia, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, North Korea, and Sri Lanka. Four ASEAN sectoral partners, namely Turkey, Brazil, Switzerland, and Norway, are also scheduled to attend, along with two countries, Algeria and Uruguay, which will sign the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC).
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