Southeast Asian leaders open annual summit with major conflicts and their impact topping the agenda

(From left), Myanmar Director-General of the Asean Affairs Department Han Win Aung, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, East Timorese Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Hangchuon Naron and Laotian Prime Minister Saleumxay Kommasith pose for a picture during the 49th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit retreat sessions in Manila, Philippines, Sunday, Nov 15, 2026. - Photo: AP

MANILA: (AP) Southeast Asian leaders opened their annual summit in the Philippine capital Manila on Sunday (Nov 15) for three days of talks, including dialogues with world leaders led by US President Donald Trump, whose crucial trip to Asia could help boost his standing after his party’s defeat in the midterm elections.

The talks by the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and their expanded discussions with Asian and Western heads of state would focus on the world’s most troubling conflicts led by the war in the Middle East, according to drafts of post-summit communiques seen by The Associated Press.