PM ANWAR OFFICIATES 47TH ASEAN SUMMIT OPENING CEREMONY

By Ahmad Erwan Othman

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 26 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today officiated the opening ceremony of the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC), marking the start of three days of high-level meetings under Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship 2025.

The ceremony, attended by ASEAN leaders, ministers and delegations, began with the ASEAN anthem “The ASEAN Way”, followed by Anwar’s opening address in his capacity as ASEAN Chair 2025.

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The ASEAN leaders attending this morning’s event included Sultan of Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, Philippine President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr, Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

Meanwhile, other high-profile leaders present this morning included Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, United Nations Secretary‑General António Guterres, President of the European Council António Costa, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Timor‑Leste President José Ramos‑Horta and Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão were also present, marking Timor-Leste’s historic participation as the 11th member of ASEAN.

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More than 30 heads of state and government, including leaders from the United States, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, will join discussions on regional security, economic resilience and inclusive growth under the ASEAN 2025 theme, “Inclusivity and Sustainability”.

Among the high-profile world leaders attending the summit are US President Donald Trump and Chinese Premier Li Qiang.

Other leaders expected to attend are China’s Vice Premier He Lifeng and Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to participate online.

Also expected to be present are Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Kao Kim Hourn, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, and World Bank Vice President for the East Asia and Pacific region Carlos Felipe Jaramillo.

At the opening ceremony, the ASEAN Prize will be presented to recognise outstanding contributions to the advancement of the ASEAN Community, followed by the signing of the Declaration on Timor-Leste’s accession as the 11th member of ASEAN, symbolising the bloc’s unity and expansion.

After the event, the leaders will witness the handover of the Second Protocol to the Amendment to the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA).

The leaders will also attend the ASEAN+3 Summit (APT) and the East Asia Summit (EAS), as well as a series of ASEAN+1 engagements with key partners, including the United Nations (UN).

The 47th ASEAN Summit will conclude on Oct 28 with a closing ceremony and the handover of the ASEAN chairmanship to the Philippines, marking the culmination of a historic year for Malaysia in strengthening cooperation, unity and the sustainability of the Southeast Asian bloc.

Several preparatory meetings were held from Oct 23 to 25, including the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN (CPR), the ASEAN Coordinating Council (ACC), and the Joint Meeting of ASEAN Foreign and Economic Ministers.

The signing ceremony for Finland’s accession documents to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) also took place.

Yesterday, Timor-Leste officially submitted its Instruments of Accession to the ASEAN Charter and the Southeast Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (SEANWFZ), thereby confirming its membership as ASEAN’s 11th member.

A total of 2,854 media personnel from 290 agencies registered to cover the historic summit.

Malaysia is serving as ASEAN Chair for the fifth time this year since the organisation’s founding in 1967, having previously chaired in 2015, 2005, 1997 and 1977.

-- BERNAMA