Timor-Leste must now use ASEAN membership to build a real economy

Timor-Leste's oil and gas revenues are gone. The country must now build an economy based on exports and skilled workers. Joining ASEAN and the WTO gives it a platform to make these changes.

Timor-Leste has relied on oil and gas money for years. That money is now gone. This means the country must quickly shift to a different economic model. Its new memberships in ASEAN and the WTO are not just symbolic; they are now the main way the country can force itself to make necessary internal reforms.