Viver Juntos Construir a Sociedade Desenvolvimento de Timor-Leste e Integração Regional Estudo de Caso A Capacidade Políticas Económicas e as Condições Economia Associados ao Processo Integração Timor-Leste na ASEAN

The aim of this article is to evaluate the development of Timor-Leste in the context of the country's accession process to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (hereinafter referred to as “ASEAN”), considering the theoretical framework that characterizes the foundations of regionalism and economic integration. ASEAN is one of the most relevant organizations in the Asian context, thus being of great importance for the future of Timor-Leste. Specifically, the intention was to verify and interpret the capacity, conditions, procedures, and political-economic challenges of this country in the process of joining ASEAN. In this setting, after the debate of the of those theorical settings, regional integration, politics, and economic framework, as well as Timor-Leste’s development over the previous years, a SWOT analysis to diagnose the status of the accession process is undertaken, culminating in a deep examination of the country’s preparedness to integrate ASEAN, a worldwide group of selected countries tied by their respective location in the World. The article concludes that the political dynamics of regional organization have hampered the accession process, although it currently seems irreversible, given the steps taken from Timor-Leste’s membership application in 2011.