Due to several barriers lingered in Timor Leste, the new-born country is facing uphill to join the Southeast Asia economy bloc of ASEAN, the ASEAN Secretary General Le Luong Minh said here Monday.

"Timor Leste is not yet ready to join ASEAN. So we are pushing them to qualify the obligations. As a member of an organization you have to accept what are obligated to join it. There is no definite time on when would it be joining ASEAN, but we are pushing it to be,"Minh told Xinhua on the sidelines of media briefing on the results of the 22nd ASEAN Summit concluded recently in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei.

Timor Leste still needs to develop its statehood system and mechanism, particularly in economic sector, that suit with requirements to become a member of ASEAN, Minh said.

Minh added that in the summit, ASEAN leaders agreed to further explore the possibility of Timor Leste participation in ASEAN activities within the context of its need for capacity building.

Timor Leste had sent observers to several high profile ASEAN meetings over the past few years.