ASEAN agrees in principle to admit East Timor as 11th member

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has agreed in principle to admit East Timor as the group's 11th member, the bloc said in a statement on Friday.

The half-island nation, which is officially called Timor Leste, will also be granted observer status at high-level ASEAN meetings, the bloc said after regional leaders met in Phnom Penh to discuss the issue.