Anwar heads into packed Asean summit as Myanmar and sea tensions loom

In Manila on November 15, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is set to attend the 49th Asean Summit and Related Summits, where the Myanmar crisis and tensions in the South China Sea are likely to dominate discussions. Arriving on Saturday night, Anwar will preside over the opening ceremony at the Philippine International Convention Centre, where Philippine President Marcos Jr. holds the Asean chair position.

Following the summit plenary and leaders' retreat, the Malaysian leader will meet with representatives of the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, the Asean Business Advisory Council, and Asean youth. He will also receive a courtesy call from Asian Development Bank president Masato Kanda in the evening. The summit aims to discuss Asean Community building and the bloc's future direction, focusing on regional resilience, energy security, and supply chains amid changing global circumstances.

Asean leaders will review the Five-Point Consensus (5PC) on Myanmar and outline the bloc's future steps. Maritime security talks may include the establishment of an Asean Maritime Centre and progress on a South China Sea Code of Conduct (COC). The three-day conference, themed "Navigating Our Future, Together," will conclude on Tuesday with additional meetings, including the Asean-United States Special Summit, and the transfer of the Asean chairmanship from the Philippines to Singapore.