Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will attend the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits in Cambodia from Thursday to Sunday (November 10-13), the Office of the Prime Minister (PMO) said in a press release. This is the first time the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has held the event in person since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2020 Summit chaired by Vietnam and the 2021 Summit chaired by Brunei took place online. The two summits are usually held separately, one earlier in and a second meeting later in the year, but this year both will take place on the same day. Cambodia is this year's ASEAN President and is leading the summit, which will be held in the capital Phnom Penh. - will discuss how the 10 countries in the association can promote peace, prosperity and stability in the region as it recovers from the pandemic, the PMO said.
The theme of this year's summit is "ASEAN A.T: Facing Challenges Together". The leaders will discuss the deteriorating situation in Myanmar as well as other regional and international developments.
At a special meeting in Jakarta last month, ASEAN foreign ministers and officials agreed that the association must be "even more determined" to achieve a peaceful solution in Myanmar. At the Oct. 27 meeting, they reiterated the importance of the Five-Point Consensus, a peace plan agreed in April 2021, two months after the military coup in Myanmar.
The plan calls for an immediate end to the violence and dialogue between all parties to end the conflict in the country. It provides for the appointment of an ASEAN special envoy, currently Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn. It was also agreed that ASEAN would provide humanitarian assistance to Myanmar. Little progress has been made in implementing the plan. State Councilor Aung San Suu Kyi remains in prison and there have been numerous attacks by the Tatmadaw, Myanmar's armed forces, against their political opponents.
Singapore's Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said in a Facebook post last month that ministers had discussed recommendations for ASEAN leaders to consider at the November summits. "It's time for ASEAN to make some tough decisions to guide our next steps in Myanmar," he wrote.
Myanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing is not expected to attend ASEAN summits, as the bloc continues to bar the country's political leaders from high-level meetings, inviting an "apolitical representative" instead. Far refused to send representatives to the meetings. The PMO said the summits also marked the 55th anniversary of unification, with leaders taking stock of their achievements as they seek to strengthen regional cooperation and strengthen "ASEAN centrality," referring to the bloc's role in promoting regional multinational ties.
ASEAN leaders will meet with external partners during the ASEAN Plus Three Summit, East Asia Summit and Summits with the United Nations, Australia, Canada, China, India, Japan, South Korea and the United States. US President Joe Biden is expected at the meeting, as is Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.
The Summit with Canada is a special commemorative Summit marking the 45th anniversary of dialogue relations established in 1977. dr Balakrishnan and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will accompany Mr. Lee on the trip. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong will serve as Acting Prime Minister in Mr Lee's absence.
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