ASEAN Summit 2025 Begins: Key Leaders Gather to Shape Southeast Asia’s Future
Global leaders gather as Timor-Leste joins ASEAN bloc.
The 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit commences on October 26 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and will conclude on October 28. Hosted by Malaysia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the nation’s 2025 chairmanship, the summit adopts the theme of inclusivity, sustainability, and addressing pressing regional challenges.
High-level participation includes United States President Donald Trump, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will join virtually.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa are also in attendance. Representatives from the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) will participate in select sessions.
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A landmark event will be the formal admission of Timor-Leste as ASEAN’s 11th member state through the signing of the Declaration on Admission. The nation, with a population of 1.4 million, marks the bloc’s first expansion in over two decades. The summit will witness the signing of a peace agreement between Cambodia and Thailand, co-chaired by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and President Trump. The accord aims to resolve longstanding border disputes, particularly around the Preah Vihear temple area.
Concurrent forums include the East Asia Summit, grouping ASEAN with Australia, China, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Russia, and the United States. Additional dialogues encompass the ASEAN Plus Three Summit, the ASEAN-United Nations Summit, and the ASEAN-New Zealand Commemorative Summit.
Core agenda items encompass regional economic integration, climate resilience, maritime security in the South China Sea, and coordinated responses to the Myanmar crisis. Malaysia is expected to advance its proposed ASEAN Green Framework to curb deforestation and promote sustainable palm oil supply chains.
Trade and investment initiatives under discussion include expanded digital connectivity, infrastructure financing, and carbon-credit mechanisms. The summit will also review progress on the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and outline priorities for the post-2025 agenda.
The opening ceremony, plenary sessions, and bilateral meetings will take place at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. Outcomes are anticipated to shape Southeast Asia’s strategic landscape amid evolving great-power dynamics and global economic uncertainties.
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