Vietnam and East Timor have established diplomatic relations in a brief ceremony the eve of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations foreign ministers' annual meeting in Brunei.

Vietnam's Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien and his East Timorese counterpart Jose Ramos-Horta signed a joint communique on the establishment of diplomatic ties.

Nguyen Dy Nien says diplomatic ties with East Timor are in the interest of peace and co-operation in Southeast Asia.

Mr Ramos Horta, who is attending the ministerial meetings as a guest of host Brunei, has said he wants ASEAN membership for East Timor within five years.

ASEAN, formed in 1967, groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Burma, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.