Xanana Gusmão, prime minister of East Timor, says rapid economic growth since independence from Indonesia in 2002 means his country is now ready to become the 11th member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Gusmão said per capita gross domestic product in East Timor is now the equivalent of $3,000, which is higher than in ASEAN members such as Laos, Cambodia and Burma. East Timor’s application is being considered by ASEAN officials but has been delayed amid fears the country is too poor to pay its way.
