Hanoi (VNA) – President of Timor-Leste Jose Ramos-Horta😼 spotlighted the ASEAN ꦰFuture Forum (AFF) 2025, Vietnam - Timor-Leste cooperation, and Timor-Leste’s efforts to join ASEAN during an interview recently granted to the press.

He expressed hope that the AFF will become a necessary, indispensable forum that would involve many countries beyond the region. Praising Vietnam’s remarkable achievements across various sectors, including impressive economic growth, equitable wealth distribution, he noted that such have earned respect of the international community. Therefore, hosting this forum is entirely in line with Vietnam’s position. The topics discussed here are diverse, especially in the current global context, which presents both challenges and opportunities, he said. According to the President, Vietnam is actually also pioneering in digitalisation, artificial intelligence, and global connectivity. In Timor-Leste, Telemor, which is a Viettel subsidiary, is now the top telecom operator against two or three others. He hoped that both nations will expand bilateral economic and trade ties for mutual benefits, including telecommunications and connectivity. He also expected to see a greater Timor-Leste - Vietnam partnership in agriculture, food security, water resources, pharmaceuticals, and health care; as well as more Timor-Leste students coming to Vietnam, and more Vietnamese investments in Timor-Leste. Timor-Leste has billions of dollars in sovereign fund that the government has been using to invest in the stock market internationally, the President noted. About Timor Leste’s journey of joining ASEAN, he said Vietnam's support, along with the consensus from Cambodia, Laos, and other regional countries, has helped Timor-Leste walk into ASEAN with greater confidence. In closing, he added that Timor-Leste, with its stability and peace, wishes to contribute to the region’s unity and common development./.