Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today met with H.E. Rear Admiral Donaciano do Rosario da Costa Gomes, Minister of the Defence of Timor-Leste, on the sidelines of the 19^th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM), 12^th ADMM-Plus and Related Meetings in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. During the meeting, they discussed ways to further strengthen Timor-Leste’s engagement in the ASEAN’s defence sector, especially following its admission as the 11^th member of ASEAN at the 47^th ASEAN Summit on 26 October 2025.