US LAYING DIPLOMATIC GROUNDWORK FOR TRUMP’S POTENTIAL VISIT TO ASEAN SUMMIT

10/07/2025 10:14 PM

By Samantha Tan

KUALA LUMPUR, July 10 (Bernama) -- The United States (US) is laying diplomatic groundwork for President Donald Trump’s potential appearance at the 47th ASEAN Summit in October.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US administration is currently working on finalising the date for Trump’s participation in the high-level meeting, which will be hosted in Kuala Lumpur.

“We are working on getting a date for that (Trump’s attendance), absolutely,” Rubio told reporters in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday when asked whether it was possible for Trump to join regional leaders at the ASEAN Summit.

Rubio is in the Malaysian capital to attend ASEAN high-level meetings held in conjunction with the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM), hosted by Malaysia under its ASEAN Chairmanship for 2025.

The 13th ASEAN-US Summit will also be held in conjunction with the 47th ASEAN Summit in October.

The last US President to attend the  ASEAN-US Summit in Kuala Lumpur was Barack Obama in November 2015.

-- BERNAMA