ASEAN, Partner Leaders Arrive In Manila For 49th ASEAN Summit

From Linda Khoo

MANILA, Nov 14 (NNN) – Leaders and senior representatives from ASEAN and its partners began arriving in Manila on Saturday for the 49th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits, with the South China Sea and the crisis in Myanmar high on the agenda.

The Philippines, this year’s ASEAN chair, will host the meetings from Nov 15 to 17, bringing together delegations from the 11-member bloc and its dialogue and sectoral dialogue partners. 

ASEAN and China are aiming to conclude negotiations on a South China Sea Code of Conduct (COC) by year-end, while ASEAN leaders are expected to review the implementation of the bloc’s Five-Point Consensus on Myanmar. 

Among the ASEAN leaders who arrived on Saturday were Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.

Lao Prime Minister Saleumxay Kommasith, Timor-Leste Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, Vietnamese Prime Minister Le  Minh Hưng and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul also arrived ahead of the meetings. 

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese were also among those who arrived earlier on Saturday. 

Carney is attending the summit and met Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier in the day. 

Albanese is scheduled to attend the 6th ASEAN–Australia Summit and the 21st East Asia Summit, with the latter set to take place on Tuesday. 

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres arrived on Saturday evening. He is scheduled to attend Sunday’s opening ceremony and take part in the 16th ASEAN–United Nations Summit on Monday.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva arrived on Friday for a state visit and will attend Sunday’s plenary as a guest of the chair. Brazil, an ASEAN sectoral dialogue partner, is seeking to become a full dialogue partner.

ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Kao Kim Hourn attended the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on Saturday ahead of the leaders’ talks.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro confirmed that United States (US) President Donald Trump, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi would join other leaders from ASEAN’s dialogue partners at the meetings in Manila.

“We are very grateful for this strong show of support for the Philippines’ Chairship,” she  told Bernama in a written response. 

--NNN