• US President Donald Trump, among leaders from South Africa, Brazil, South Korea, China attending the 3-day summit starting Sunday

ISTANBUL

World and regional leaders are converging in Kuala Lumpur for the 47th summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), currently chaired by Malaysia.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will host leaders from ASEAN member states, along with top officials from the US, China, Japan, South Korea, and other key partners, for the three-day summit under the theme “Inclusivity and Sustainability.”

More than 10,000 police officers have been deployed to the Malaysian capital to secure the meetings, which begin Sunday and run through Tuesday. US President Donald Trump will attend a dinner with ASEAN leaders and is expected to witness the signing of a peace accord between Cambodia and Thailand, following deadly border clashes in July that ended after Anwar mediated a cease-fire.

Among those attending are South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung, Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Japan’s first female Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon are also taking part.

From ASEAN, Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Laotian Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, and Timor-Leste’s President Jose Ramos-Horta are among those expected.

Timor-Leste, or East Timor, is set to officially become the bloc’s 11th member during the summit.

Representatives from the UN, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and other global organizations, are also expected to attend, while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will join the meetings virtually. European Council President Antonio Costa will also be among the attendees.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Myanmar’s acting President Senior General Min Aung Hlaing will not attend. Russia will instead be represented by Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak.

ASEAN has decided not to extend an invitation to participate in summits to Myanmar’s military leadership since the February 2021 coup.

In addition to internal meetings, ASEAN will hold summit-level discussions with key dialogue partners, including the US, China, and Japan.

ASEAN, a regional organization founded in Bangkok on Aug. 8, 1967, consists of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Tariffs, trade, Rohingya

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar, who is hosting the summit, has expressed expectations that the ASEAN meetings will result in "positive" outcomes, with Trump’s tariffs on US allies and foes being a central topic.

On regional trade, Anwar has emphasized the importance of the world’s largest trade deal -- the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) -- which includes China, as it covers nearly one-third of global GDP and trade.

He has expressed Malaysia’s hopes to expand RCEP membership and explore ways to enhance trade.

The plight of one of the world’s most persecuted communities, the Rohingya in Myanmar, which is witnessing internal ethnic strife, will also be on the agenda alongside possible discussions regarding the tensions in the disputed South China Sea.

ASEAN is additionally expected to issue a statement on the situation in Gaza, where a cease-fire between Israeli forces and Hamas has been in place since Oct. 10.