Southeast Asian leaders meet in Indonesia for annual summit

September 5, 2023

By Islamuddin Sajid

ANKARA (AA) - Leaders of Southeast Asian nations met in the Indonesian capital on Tuesday for the 43rd summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

"Secretary-General of ASEAN attended the opening ceremony of the 43rd ASEAN Summit and Related Summits which was officially opened by President of the Republic of Indonesia and ASEAN Chair for 2023 Joko Widodo," ASEAN wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

Leaders and representatives from partner countries including China, India, South Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, the Russian Federation, Canada and the US are also attending the summit.

Senior officials of the Pacific Island Forum, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank are also expected to attend the summit which will continue until Thursday, according to the ASEAN office in Indonesia.

Indonesia, the current chair of the 10-member regional bloc, is hosting the summit to discuss the development and strengthening of cooperation between the bloc and its partners. Regional peace and political violence in junta-ruled Myanmar remain high on the agenda.

On Monday, the Philippines said it will advocate for a “rules-based international order” in the disputed South China Sea.

Several ASEAN members have maritime disputes with China in the minerals-rich South China Sea. Chinese Premier Li Qiang is also participating in the summit.