PM Lee to attend Asean Summit in Indonesia this week
Sign up now: Get insights on Asia's fast-moving developments
Asean leaders will discuss ways to further enhance collaboration in member states’ digital and green economies.
ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
Follow topic:
LABUAN BAJO - Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will attend the 42nd Asean Summit from Wednesday to Thursday.
He will lead the Singapore delegation at the summit, which will be held in Labuan Bajo, a town on the western tip of Indonesia’s Flores Island, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said on Tuesday.
This will be the first of two high-level summits hosted by Indonesia as Asean chair in 2023. The next one will be held in September.
The PMO said Indonesia’s chairmanship theme “Asean Matters: Epicentrum of Growth” underlines a substantive and forward-looking agenda, especially in areas such as economic integration and community-building efforts to ensure Asean’s unity and growth.
At the summit this week, Asean leaders will review the grouping’s progress and discuss ways to further enhance collaboration in member states’ digital and green economies, it added.
Among the issues expected to be discussed at the high-level summit are the crisis in Myanmar,
Indonesia has said that human trafficking will be one of the main issues discussed at the meetings, amid growing concern in Asean countries due to the rising number of cases in the region.
“The leaders will also discuss the geopolitical situation, with the view to maintain Asean’s central role in an open, inclusive and stable regional architecture,” said the PMO.
“Discussions are expected to cover international and regional developments, including the situation in Myanmar.”
Indonesia, as Asean chair in 2023, has vowed to do its best to improve the situation in Myanmar, which has been in turmoil after the country’s military overthrew the democratically elected government in a coup in February 2021.
In April 2021, Asean drew up a five-point consensus peace plan with Myanmar, but there has been little progress in restoring peace. Violence following the coup has killed thousands.
At the summit, Asean leaders will attend eight meetings in plenary and retreat formats, seven of which will be chaired by Indonesian President Joko Widodo.
More than 1,100 people, including some 776 delegates, have registered for the event. Indonesia held a security exercise for the summit at the weekend, and the archipelago’s national police chief has said that over 12,000 soldiers and police officers will be deployed to ensure the safety of world leaders and delegates.
PM Lee will be accompanied by Mrs Lee and Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, as well as officials from the PMO and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In PM Lee’s absence, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong will be Acting Prime Minister from Tuesday to Wednesday. Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean will take over that role on Thursday.
