One of the final initiatives of the Biden administration in the United States was the announcement of the first vision statement that outlined the priorities of the Department of Defense in Southeast Asia. Then-U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the “Vision Statement for a Prosperous and Secure Southeast Asia” in November 2024 during the 11th ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Laos.
The statement also highlighted Washington’s willingness to provide Timor-Leste with “capacity-building assistance in the defense sector” to help the youngest country in Southeast Asia attain full membership in ASEAN.
According to a 2024 paper on Timor-Leste-U.S. relations by the Congressional Research Service, the U.S. Defense Department provides International Military Education and Training (IMET) courses to the Timor-Leste Defense Force.
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