SEPANG: Lao Foreign Affairs Minister Thongsavanh Phomvihane is among the earliest foreign diplomats to arrive in Malaysia ahead of the 47th Asean Summit.
Phomvihane, along with his wife Vadsana Phomvihane, touched down at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) at approximately 8.25pm on Wednesday (Oct 22).
His deputy, Phongsavanh Sisoulath, arrived at 7.50pm.
Other early arrivals included Cambodia’s Secretary of State Kung Phoak, who landed at 2pm, and Deputy Secretary-General of the Asean Economic Community Satvinder Singh at 7.45pm.
Meanwhile, Timor-Leste Vice-Minister of Asean Affairs Milena Rangel arrived at 7.35pm, while Brunei’s Permanent Secretary Johariah Wahab touched down at 8.25pm.
Malaysia, which holds the Asean chairmanship in 2025, will host the 47th Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur from Oct 26 to 28 under the theme “Inclusivity and Sustainability”.
The summit will host leaders from the 10 Asean member states alongside key dialogue partners such as the United States, China, Japan and India.
Expected to be the largest Asean gathering since its inception in 1976, the summit will welcome world leaders including United States President Donald Trump, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. – Bernama
