ASEAN SECURITY. MARIANNE BERMUDEZ/INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
SINGAPORE — Leaders from 10 Southeast Asian countries, along with counterparts from China, the United States, Japan and Russia, are set to convene for the 33rd Asean Summit and Related Summits, which will be held at the Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Center from November 13-15.
One of the key topics of discussion will be regional economic integration, given that Asean is expected to be the world’s fourth-largest economy by 2030.
Other issues expected to be on the table include the conclusion of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade agreement and bolstering of cybersecurity across the region.
Running on the sidelines of the main summit meanwhile are the Asean Plus Three Summit and the East Asia Summit. At the end of these meetings, Singapore will hand over the Asean chairmanship to Thailand.
Also taking place concurrently with the Asean Summit is the Asean Business and Investment Summit (ABIS) 2018, which will be held from November 12-13 at the Sands Expo and Convention Center.
ABIS 2018, Asean’s premier annual business and investment event, will revolve around the theme ‘Building Tomorrow, Connecting Today’, which encapsulates the Asean Business Advisory Council’s (Asean-BAC) goal of being forward looking in approach and innovative in building towards a resilient Asean.
The forum acts as a platform for key policymakers and top business leaders to share their thoughts on current issues concerning Asean’s business and investment environment.
Separately, the Singapore Police Force on its website stated that the 33rd Asean Summit and Related Summits have been declared as an ‘Enhanced Security Special Event’ under the Public Order Act.
The area around Suntec has correspondingly been designated as an ‘Enhanced Security Special Event Area’ from November 13-15, with roadblocks and stringent security checks to be conducted by police within this area to ensure the security of the summit.