Kuala lumpur: US President Donald Trump attended the 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, marking his first appearance at the event since the 2017 meeting in the Philippines. Trump joined Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, and other regional leaders for a family photo, symbolizing the collaboration among participating nations.

According to Anadolu Agency, after the photo session, Trump participated in a working session with US-ASEAN leaders. He emphasized his mission of fostering friendship and goodwill, with a focus on enhancing commerce, security, and promoting stability, prosperity, and peace for all countries involved. Trump highlighted that as part of his Asia tour, he plans to finalize or advance trade agreements with Asia-Pacific countries, including Japan and South Korea. He underscored the commitment to forming stronger partnerships in energy technology, artificial intelligence, critical minerals, and other key industries.

The summit marks the 13th meeting between the US and ASEAN, with former President Joe Biden having last attended such a summit in 2022 in Indonesia. During his address, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced plans for ASEAN and the US to adopt a joint vision statement aimed at creating a ‘prosperous ASEAN and America,’ transforming cooperation into tangible outcomes. He noted that bilateral trade volume between the Southeast Asian bloc and the US reached $453 billion last year.

ASEAN, founded on August 8, 1967, in Bangkok, comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The leaders welcomed Timor-Leste as ASEAN’s 11th member, marking the first expansion of the bloc in 26 years.

Trump’s three-country Asia tour will continue with visits to Japan, where he will meet the new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, and South Korea, where he is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping.