With the 19th Asean Summit in Bali looming next week, Timor Leste has reiterated its desire for joining the bloc and expressed hope that during Indonesia's chairmanship, the 10 member states would reach a concrete decision.

Dili lodged its application for a full membership early this year.

This was said by the country's envoy Roberto Sarmento de Oliveira Soares (right) on Wednesday.

During his four-day visit to the Sultanate to meet with the senior officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MoFAT) November 7-10, the Non-Resident Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam said that his country remain consistent with its determination to be part of the grouping sooner.

"It is our hope that during the Indonesia chairmanship there will be a concrete decision from Asean countries," Soares told The Brunei Times.

"We are also ready to go through a transitional period if that is what the Asean (member states) desire for," he added.

Timor Leste, formally Indonesia's 27th province, declared its independence on May 20, 2002, following a United Nations sponsored referendum in 1999.

Earlier this year, Indonesia has pledged its support for Timor Leste to become the 11th member of the bloc. However, during the Asean foreign ministers meeting last May, no consensus was reached with regard to the application of Timor Leste's membership.

Later in the same month, Timor Leste's President Jose Ramos-Horta wrote an article published in the media saying that his country's determination to join the organisation received public support from Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Brunei, Philippines and Myanmar.

However, Singapore, while agreeing with Timor Leste's Asean membership, objects to early membership, arguing Timor Leste is not yet ready to cope with challenges and complexities of Asean membership, Ramos-Horta wrote.

The President then pointed out the current development on social, economic, political and security conditions of his country.

Ambassador Soares ensured that his country has enough resources in term of financial and the people to cope with Asean's activities. Timor Leste, he added, has established relations with the regional and international communities, including an active member to the United Nations.

"I'm proud to say that Timor Leste will not be a burden to Asean," he said.

Having considered that Asean countries are important, the envoy said Dili has made decision that before 2015 Timor Leste will expand its embassies throughout the grouping. Currently, Timor Leste has set up its embassies in five Asean countries namely Singapore, which also covers Brunei; Thailand covering Cambodia and Laos; Malaysia covering Myanmar and Vietnam; Indonesia covering Asean Permanent Representative; as well as in the Philippines.

He stressed the importance of being part of the grouping as Timor Leste wants to firm its regional identity as a new country, which is located in Southeast Asia. It also wants to further compliment the country's overall strategic interest in the aspects of economy, politic, security and social-cultural.

"We want to enjoy as one community in this region, as Asean founding members have outlined in the Asean Charter," he said, adding that it is also the aspiration and political will of the country's leaders.

With regards to next week's Asean Summit, he said, if the Asean Chair officially extends its invitation to Timor Leste to participate in as an observer, "Our Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao has already indicated that he would definitely attend the meeting."

Indonesia will host the 19th Asean Summit and Related Summits in Bali on November 14-19. Asia One