Trump Invited To ASEAN Summit In KL As Dialogue Partner – Mohamad

SEPANG, Oct 4 (Bernama) -- The invitation to President Donald Trump to attend the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur was made in Malaysia’s capacity as ASEAN Chair, as the United States is a dialogue partner of the bloc, said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.

He said Trump was not invited on the basis of Malaysia-US bilateral relations but as the head of state of an ASEAN dialogue partner, and the invitation was in line with the Chair’s responsibility to invite all leaders.

“As ASEAN Chair, we invite all heads of state to attend. There cannot be a situation where some countries are invited while others are not — that is not good diplomatic practice. ASEAN must be seen as adhering to a policy of neutrality,” he said at a press conference after visiting the Sumud Nusantara Command Centre (SNCC) here today.

Mohamad said the principle of neutrality has been ASEAN’s key strength in maintaining regional stability while upholding the centrality of ASEAN — the bloc’s role as the main reference point and primary platform for regional dialogue.

Earlier, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had extended an official invitation to Trump to attend the ASEAN-US Summit and the East Asia Summit in Kuala Lumpur, which will be held alongside the ASEAN Summit.

The 47th ASEAN Summit is scheduled to take place from Oct 26 to 28, with participation from key leaders across Asia, Europe, Canada, Africa and Latin America.

-- BERNAMA