Relationship dossier
Indonesia
Timor-Leste
Relationship assessment
Cooperation on borders and regional integration alongside the legacy of Timor-Leste's independence
Indonesia toward Timor-Leste
+35Indonesia recognized Timor-Leste's independence in 2002 and concluded a bilateral land-boundary agreement with it in 2005. Indonesia has also supported Timor-Leste's efforts to join ASEAN.
Timor-Leste toward Indonesia
+35Timor-Leste concluded a land-boundary agreement with Indonesia in 2005 and has pursued cooperative relations with its neighbour through bilateral engagement and regional integration efforts.
Overall relationship
+35The relationship combines practical cooperation, including a land-boundary agreement and Indonesian support for Timor-Leste's ASEAN aspirations, with the lasting historical legacy of occupation and the violence surrounding independence. The partnership is meaningful but its scope and the resolution of remaining border matters are uncertain.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Indonesia and Timor-Leste have built cooperative relations since Timor-Leste's independence, including a land-boundary agreement and practical cross-border engagement. Indonesia has also supported Timor-Leste's path toward ASEAN membership. The relationship developed against the legacy of Indonesia's occupation and the violence surrounding Timor-Leste's independence; the scope of current cooperation and remaining border issues are not fully clear.
Areas of tension
- The legacy of Indonesia's occupation and violence surrounding Timor-Leste's independence
- Unresolved or incompletely demarcated sections of the land boundary
Key developments
Indonesia recognized Timor-Leste's independence.
Indonesia and Timor-Leste signed an agreement on their land boundary.
Indonesia supported Timor-Leste's efforts to join ASEAN.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of bilateral cooperation beyond border and ASEAN-related matters are unclear.
- The status of remaining land-boundary demarcation issues is uncertain.