JAKARTA, Sept 7 ― Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has arrived at the venue of the 43rd Asean Summit to engage in discussions with fellow regional leaders and dialogue partners, with a focus on developing and strengthening cooperation across various sectors.

The summit, led by Indonesian President Joko Widodo at the Jakarta Convention Centre today, commenced with Anwar’s participation in the 20th Asean-India Summit attended by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Anwar is accompanied by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir; Investment, Trade, and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz; and Foreign Ministry Secretary-General Datuk Amran Mohamed Zin.

The prime minister will also actively participate in three other summits namely the 18th East Asia Summit, 3rd Asean-Australia Summit and 13th Asean-United Nations (UN) Summit.

During these meetings, Anwar’s schedule includes three bilateral meetings, where he will engage in discussions with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Bangladesh’s President Mohammed Shahabuddin, and Timor Leste’s Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao.

Later, he will attend the closing ceremony of the summit and witness the formal handover of the Asean Chairmanship to Laos, before returning home to end his visit to Jakarta since Tuesday.

This is Anwar's first summit with the seven Asean dialogue partners namely Australia, China, Japan, India, South Korea, the United States and Canada. ― Bernama