KUALA LUMPUR - The 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and related summits kicked off in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Sunday under the theme "Inclusivity and Sustainability."

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia, the chair of ASEAN 2025, said rising contestation and growing uncertainty test not only ASEAN economies, but ASEAN's collective resolve to keep faith in cooperation.

He noted that ASEAN's strength lies in the conviction that respect and reason still bind the members together.

His speech was followed by the signing of the Declaration on the Admission of Timor-Leste into ASEAN, marking the entry of Timor-Leste as the 11th member of the grouping.

Timor-Leste's President Jose Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao were present at the signing ceremony.

Timor-Leste, located in the easternmost part of the Lesser Sunda Islands in Southeast Asia, applied for ASEAN membership in 2011. In November 2022, ASEAN member states principally agreed to admit Timor-Leste as a new member of the regional grouping.

During the summits scheduled for Sunday to Tuesday, the ASEAN leaders will focus their discussions on issues related to ASEAN community-building and ASEAN's external relations.

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They will deliberate, among others, on ways to deepen regional integration, stimulate economic growth, and enhance ASEAN connectivity.

Established in 1967, the grouping includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Timor-Leste.