During a budget planning session on June 12, the Government of Timor-Leste announced that economic diversification and job creation will form the cornerstone of its 2027 State General Budget, as Dili moves to strengthen economic resilience, stimulate sustainable growth and reduce its long-standing dependence on petroleum revenues. Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão confirmed that the 2027 budget will be the first prepared under the new 2027-2030 Medium-Term Planning Framework, which is set to guide government spending and development policy over the next four years.
Author: Protasius Isyudanto
Lead Editor
Southeast Asia Energy Security Series: #2 The Philippines
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Eid al Adha: Muslims across maritime Southeast Asia celebrate with sacrifice, prayer and feasts
Muslim communities across Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and the Philippines observed Eid al Adha on May 27, marking the festival with congregational prayers, ritual sacrifices and the distribution of meat to lower-income families and beneficiaries. The five countries celebrated on the same day after the Ministers of Religion of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore determined that the commemoration falls on May 27.
Indonesian president’s three-day Paris visit set to elevate bilateral ties to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
On May 27, the second day of his bilateral visit to France, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto began his morning by performing the Eid al Adha prayer at the Indonesian Embassy residence in Paris. He greeted Indonesian citizens and members of the diaspora in attendance before gathering with them for a communal meal, in an engagement intended both to mark the Feast of Sacrifice and to reinforce ties with overseas Indonesians.
Lao-Thai community marks traditional new year with food and dances in Paris
On May 17, several hundred members of Paris’s Lao and Thai communities gathered at the TEP Agnès Tirop sports ground in the city’s 10th arrondissement for the Fête populaire du Nouvel An lao/thaï, or the Lao-Thai New Year community festival, a one-day festival organised by the association Khao Niao Solidarité, which is the Lao diaspora association in France.
UN Secretary-General hopeful: “This is the Asian century”
Former Costa Rican Vice President Rebeca Grynspan, a leading contender to succeed António Guterres as United Nations Secretary-General (UN SG) in 2027, framed Southeast Asia as a natural anchor of the multilateral system during a fireside chat at Sciences Po Paris on April 28, where she laid out a managerial pitch for the UN’s top job.
France’s Southeast Asia Push: Strategic Autonomy in Practice
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Myanmar junta leader “elected” as civilian head in military-engineered transition
Myanmar’s newly-elected parliament initiated the selection of a new state president on March 30, marking the first such process since the military junta took over power in the 2021 coup.
Vietnam prepares leadership reshuffle as national elections conclude
On March 22, Vietnam’s National Election Council (NEC) announced the results of the elections organised a week prior to elect members of the People’s Councils on the provincial and commune levels as well as 500 representatives to the 16ᵗʰ National Assembly.
Brunei eyes launch of stock exchange by 2027
Brunei Darussalam is planning to establish its own stock exchange by the third quarter of 2027, subject to the completion of an economic ecosystem and market model, a government minister said on March 19.