Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim officiates the 47th ASEAN Summit opening, with over 30 world leaders attending the three-day regional meeting.
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim officiated the opening ceremony of the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre today.
The ceremony commenced the start of three days of high-level meetings under Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship for 2025.
ASEAN leaders, ministers, and delegates attended the event, which began with the playing of the ASEAN anthem.
Anwar delivered the opening address in his capacity as the ASEAN Chair for this year.
More than 30 heads of state and government are participating in discussions focused on regional peace, economic resilience, and inclusive growth.
The summit operates under Malaysia’s chairmanship theme of “Inclusivity and Sustainability.”
High-profile arrivals expected today include United States President Donald Trump and Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa are also present in Kuala Lumpur.
Both leaders arrived on October 24 to participate as ASEAN’s new sectoral dialogue partners.
Other attending leaders include China’s Vice Premier He Lifeng and European Council President Antonio Costa.
Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney are also in attendance.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is participating in the summit virtually.
The ceremony also featured the presentation of the ASEAN Prize Award to recognise outstanding contributions to the ASEAN Community.
Leaders signed the Declaration on the Admission of Timor-Leste as ASEAN’s 11th member state.
Timor-Leste’s Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão and President José Ramos-Horta are present for this historic occasion.
The signing symbolises the bloc’s ongoing unity and strategic expansion.
Following the ceremony, leaders witnessed the handover of the Second Protocol to Amend the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement.
The summit schedule includes the ASEAN Plus Three Summit and the East Asia Summit in the coming days.
A series of ASEAN+1 engagements with major partners, including the United Nations, will also take place.
The summit will conclude on October 28 with a closing ceremony and the handover of the ASEAN chairmanship to the Philippines.
This event marks the culmination of a landmark year for Malaysia in advancing regional cooperation.
Preparatory meetings were held from October 23 to 25, including the Meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN.
The ASEAN Coordinating Council and a Joint Meeting of ASEAN Foreign and Economic Ministers also took place.
The Instrument of Accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia was signed during these preparatory meetings.
A total of 2,854 media personnel from 290 agencies have registered to cover this historic summit.
This is the fifth time Malaysia has assumed the ASEAN Chair since the bloc’s founding in 1967.
Malaysia previously held the chairmanship in 2015, 2005, 1997, and 1977. – Bernama
