Achara Ashayagachat – East Timor needs 10 years to prepare for joining the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, de facto Foreign Minister Ramos Horta said.

"Of course we want to join Asean, but we are not in a hurry. In five or 10 years it's possible, but we are not ready now," he said. "We are still building our country, creating government institutions and the economy."

East Timor was seeking observer status and sent the proposal to the ASEAN secretariat three months ago. Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai said Asean's priority was to consolidate, not to expand.

"We have an urgent task to prove to the world that our internal integration is realistic. We have to pursue the task of implementing agreements on the Asean Free Trade Area, the Asean Investment Area, and the Initiative on Asean Integration to close the gaps between old and new members," he said.