The Deputy Director-General of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community says the addition of East Timor or Timor-Leste to the organisation will strengthen the region.
East Timor is in the process of becoming the first new member of the SPC since 1983.
Cameron Diver says increased outreach and a greater exchange of expertise will come out of the move.
Mr Diver says the new member already has ties with most of the SPC members, particularly in the Melanesian arc.
"The members saw both historical and cultural reasons but also for reasons linked to having a broader, more holistic approach to development challenges in the region. There are a lot of advantages of inviting Timor-Leste in so that our organisation can address the challenges of all the members, rather than just some of them and then trying to bring Timor-Leste in on an adhoc basis."
SPC Deputy Director-General Cameron Diver and the East Timor Foreign Minister Hernani Coelho and other dignitaries. Photo: SPC / twitter
