ASEAN-Greater Bay Area push: East Timor’s Vice Prime Minister Francisco Kalbuadi Lay used the SCMP Greater Bay Area-ASEAN Summit to argue that closer ties with Hong Kong and the GBA can bring investment, tech transfer, and stronger supply chains—while warning newer ASEAN members must build capacity to benefit from integration. South Korea deepens cooperation: Foreign Ministers Cho Hyun and Bendito dos Santos Freitas agreed in Seoul to expand work on education, human resources, government capacity, climate projects, carbon capture and storage, maritime cooperation, infrastructure, and policing against transnational crime—framing it as support for Timor-Leste’s ASEAN integration. Disaster readiness training: Timor-Leste joined a Pacific Humanitarian Warehousing Program training in Brisbane, building logistics skills for faster relief distribution during disasters. Security and preparedness in schools: While not Timor-Leste-specific, the week’s coverage highlights regional momentum on school safety after the Tacloban shooting, including simulation drills and tighter campus security—an issue Timor-Leste policymakers may watch as they plan emergency preparedness. Energy and development links: A separate regional report notes Ampowr’s MoU with Indonesia to electrify villages using solar and storage—relevant to Timor-Leste’s broader push for reliable power and resilient infrastructure. Oil and gas uncertainty: Sunda Energy said its Chuditch project in Timor-Leste faced a termination notice after seeking an extension, with drilling delayed by logistical and local content issues and health-and-safety concerns.