Malaysia to Host 47th ASEAN Summit in October with Attendance from Global Leaders, Says PM Anwar
Putrajaya, The Gulf Observer: Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced on Monday that the 47th ASEAN Summit, scheduled to be held in Kuala Lumpur this October, is expected to attract participation from numerous world leaders across Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Africa.
Speaking during a meeting with staff of the Prime Minister’s Department in Putrajaya, Anwar, who also serves as Finance Minister, confirmed that several global leaders have already committed to attending the high-level event. These include leaders from Italy, the European Union, Canada, and the United States.
“It (the ASEAN Summit) will be a major international conference for Malaysia,” Anwar stated, underlining the significance of the summit as part of Malaysia’s 2025 ASEAN Chairmanship, themed ‘Inclusivity and Sustainability’.
Anwar previously revealed on July 8 that the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits, set to take place from October 26 to 28, would also be attended by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni—whom he met in Rome on July 3—as well as Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is currently serving as President of the G20.
The Prime Minister stressed that his international visits are driven by Malaysia’s active role as ASEAN Chair this year and are conducted in response to invitations from foreign leaders. “I am among the prime ministers who have travelled abroad the most. Coincidentally, Malaysia is ASEAN chairman this year,” he remarked.
Reflecting on Malaysia’s successful hosting of the 46th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings held from May 22–27, Anwar praised the performance of the country’s civil servants and security agencies during major recent summits, including the ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and ASEAN-China Summits.
“If you look at the performance of civil servants, police, Immigration Department and airports during ASEAN-GCC and ASEAN-China, I am confident in our ability to provide the best for our country,” he said.
Anwar also cited Malaysia’s improved global standing as further evidence of growing international confidence. According to the World Competitiveness Report by the Institute for Management Development, Malaysia’s global competitiveness ranking improved significantly from 34th in 2024 to 23rd in 2025.
The 47th ASEAN Summit in October is expected to further cement Malaysia’s role as a key regional and international player, bringing together influential voices to address pressing global and regional challenges.
