Putin mulls attending ASEAN summit, Deputy PM confirmed for now - PM Anwar

KUALA LUMPUR: Russian President Vladimir Putin is considering attending the upcoming ASEAN Summit, but as of now, only the country’s Deputy Prime Minister has been confirmed to represent Russia, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Anwar said Putin had earlier expressed interest in attending the summit during their recent meeting in Beijing, but no final confirmation has been made.

“We have sent him (Putin) an invitation. He told me in Beijing that he will seriously consider this, but for now, he is sending the Deputy Prime Minister. We will know by today, finally, whether he is coming.

“I do think he is likely (to come) right now, but he did say he is keen to come, so let's see. But, officially, only the Deputy Prime Minister is coming for now,” he told reporters after attending the Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) Knowledge Forum 2025 here today.

The 47th ASEAN Summit, themed “Inclusion and Sustainability”, is scheduled to be held in Kuala Lumpur from Oct 26 to 28, with the participation of top leaders from the 10 ASEAN member states as well as key dialogue partners, including the United States, China, Japan and India.

The summit is expected to be the largest event in its history since it was first held in 1976.