More than 60 meetings are scheduled for the three-day summit, ahead of the approval of a package of documents, some of which relate to what Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi called the “big challenges”. regional”.

In addition to issues such as the economy, the environment and growing regional integration, the leaders of ASEAN member countries, including Timor-Leste as an observer and represented by Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão, will analyze also the situation in Myanmar (formerly Burma). ) .

The military junta, in power in Myanmar since 2021, will once again not be allowed to participate in the leaders’ meetings.

In addition to ASEAN leaders and representatives of nine international organizations, representatives of the regional organization’s partners, namely South Korea, Japan, India, China, Australia, Canada, Russia and the United States will also be present in Jakarta.

Leaders of various international organizations, such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the UN, represented by Secretary General António Guterres, will also attend the meeting.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo will lead at least 12 extended meetings, including summits with China, South Korea, Japan, the United States and Canada, and participate in several bilateral meetings.

On the final day of the summit, ASEAN meetings are scheduled with external partners, India, Australia, the UN and members of the East Asia summit.

A busy work schedule

Jakarta’s busy schedule also includes several ministerial-level meetings, namely the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC), the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), the ASEAN Political and Security Community (APSC) and the ASEAN Coordination Council (ACC).

More than 1,000 journalists from nearly 250 media are following the meetings in Jakarta.

As part of the preparations for the summit, the Indonesian authorities announced a series of initiatives to combat air pollution, which has recently become particularly serious in the capital.

Distance learning and distance working for civil servants are some of the measures taken in an attempt to reduce pollution and, at the same time, heavy traffic pressures in Jakarta.