Kuala Lumpur is set to host the 47th Asean Summit and Related Summits at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
Themed “Inclusivity and Sustainability”, the opening ceremony of the Asean Summit will be held tomorrow, and the summit will end on Oct 28, as Malaysia closes its chapter as the 2025 chair and passes the baton to the Philippines.
The opening ceremony will also witness the Signing of the Declaration on the Admission of Timor-Leste into the bloc, marking the young nation’s formal admission as the 11th Member State.
The Asean Summit will be divided into the Plenary and Retreat sessions. The Plenary Session will also see the participation of Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney of Canada, European Council President António Costa, and the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva.
During the Plenary Session, the Asean leaders will focus their discussions on issues related to community-building and external relations. The leaders will deliberate, among others, on ways to deepen regional integration, stimulate economic growth, and enhance Asean connectivity.
On external relations, leaders will discuss efforts to reinforce Asean unity and centrality, and strengthen the bloc’s commitment to a rules-based multilateral order in the evolving global geostrategic landscape.
Canada and the EU will also be sharing their perspectives on further consolidating and deepening their
dialogue relations with Asean, while the IMF will brief Asean leaders on its latest global macroeconomic assessments, policy implications, and avenues to deepen IMF-Asean collaboration.
During the Retreat Session, the leaders will review the implementation of the five-point consensus on Myanmar and the way forward in addressing the political and humanitarian crisis in the
country, as well as exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual concern.
The Asean leaders will also review the progress of Asean Plus One dialogue relations and its future direction, as well as exchange views on regional and international issues. Topics
that will be discussed include trade and investment, supply chain resilience, digitalisation, renewable energy, green growth, as well as regional and international issues of common concern.
This year marks the 50th Anniversary of Asean-New Zealand dialogue relations. During the Asean–
New Zealand Commemorative Summit, the leaders are expected to announce the establishment of the
Asean-New Zealand Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
The Asean Plus Three (APT) Summit, scheduled on Oct 27, will see representatives from Asean, China, Japan, and Korea review the progress achieved under the APT cooperation framework and its future direction, focusing on areas such as digital economy, maritime cooperation, energy, connectivity, health and education.
Leaders will also exchange views on regional and international issues of common concern. The Summit will also involve briefing by stakeholders namely the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office and East Asia Business Council, on the region’s macroeconomic and financial outlook, as well as regional economic growth, respectively.
The East Asia Summit (EAS), also on Oct 27, will review the progress of the EAS cooperation, focusing on broad strategic, political, and economic issues to promote regional peace, stability, and prosperity in East Asia.
The Summit will also be attended by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio da Silva, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa in their capacity as the Chair of BRICS and G20, respectively.
