On behalf of the Foreign Ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brunei Darussalam and Chairman of the ASEAN Standing Committee, congratulates the Government and people of the Democratic Republic of East Timor on the historic occasion of their country’s independence.

We welcome the Democratic Republic of East Timor as a new member of the international community and look forward to working closely with its government and people in friendship and cooperation.

21 May 2002