East Timor is seeking to become the 11th member of the Association of Southeast Asia Nations.

The country plans to submit an official letter of application to the Asean Secretariat in Indonesia next month, according to Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya.

"Asean will discuss East Timor's application," Mr Kasit said earlier this month during a two-day official visit to Asia's youngest nation.

The minister said East Timor's membership would elevate Asean's profile by enabling it to boast of having two Nobel peace laureates.

The minister was apparently referring to Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi, who won the peace prize in 1991, and serving East Timorese President Jose Ramos-Horta, who won the award in 1996 for his efforts to secure independence for his country.

Ramos-Horta spoke to the Bangkok Post's Thanida Tansubhapol in Dili about the prospect of his nation joining Asean.

Q: You have been campaigning for East Timor's membership in Asean for some time. How did that come about?

A: My idea to join Asean goes back to 1974. At that time, I was still young but I was foreign affairs spokesman for my political party. I visited Indonesia in June 1974 and met then-Indonesian foreign minister Adam Malik. Upon my return to East Timor, I thought we should join Asean soon after independence.

Circumstances began to change in 1998-99. East Timor became fully independent [in 2002] after a few years of difficulty but the economy went well. We have shown to the Asean leaders that East Timor could be a very constructive, moderate member.

Q: How did East Timor move towards that goal after getting independence?

A: Since independence, our foreign policy looked carefully at what Asean countries' rules were before taking a step [towards applying for Asean membership]. Every time there was an election in the United Nations Assembly for any UN bodies, we always supported Asean candidates. In our preferential vote, we always gave priority to Asean countries to show we had sensitivity and loyalty to Asean. So I believe they can trust us even though we have not reached the level of economic and social development like [the other member nations]. But maybe when we join, our path of development can accelerate.

Q: What responses have you received from Asean?

A: The responses have been enthusiastic. Indonesia is chairman of Asean and is proactive in advocating our membership and even providing technical and diplomatic advice on how to take steps towards Asean membership. For the past three years, the senior Indonesia ambassador had been assigned by the Indonesian president to assist us on the issue.

All Asean countries have been very much involved and engaged in the nation-building of East Timor. They have troops and police here.

Q: When do you intend to join Asean?

A: I'd prefer to join Asean this year during the Indonesian chairmanship, maybe this November, because it will be symbolic that East Timor can join under the Indonesia presidency. It will be great for public relations, not only for Indonesia but for Asean. [Indonesia and East Timor] have had a bitter relationship in the past.

Q: If East Timor is accepted as an Asean member, would the formal admission be undertaken next year?

A: It's possible. They say East Timor can join now and then develop the five-year programme whereby we would gradually move forward step by step toward fulfilling whatever we have to fulfill. Rather than having conditionality now like an observer and then move on to full membership, why not do it the other way round – to become a member and then have five years where we should fulfill other conditions to reform our power integration and trade laws.

Q: As the leader of a prospective Asean member, what would you like to leave as a message for Asean people and their leaders?

A: People in the Asean region have a strong sympathy and solidarity toward East Timor. We have received so much support from officials and common people and civil society.

For Asean leaders, I would say to them that, rest assured, East Timor feels more nationally, emotionally and culturally [a part of] Southeast Asia.

We are very proud to be part of this region. For hundreds of years, [Southeast Asia] has all been disconnected through colonial history, through wars. Asean came to unite the people of Southeast Asia with a common vision of peace, security, stability and prosperity.

East Timor is the only missing link because of history, not because of geography.

So for the 10 Asean leaders, they should look at East Timor as their "missing child" after hundreds of years of the storms that have affected the region – the storm of colonial occupations and invasions through the Cold War, the Vietnam War and the tremendous tragedy in Cambodia.

But now Asean is consolidated and [the leaders] should say, "We cannot leave this child of our continent alone".