World Leaders Arrive in Manila Ahead of 49th ASEAN Summit; UN Chief, Carney and Albanese Among Key Figures
MANILA, November 14, 2026:Heads of state, government leaders and senior international officials have begun arriving in Manila for the 49th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits, scheduled to take place from November 15 to 17, with regional security, economic cooperation and pressing global challenges expected to feature prominently on the agenda.Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Hang Chuon Naron, Timor-Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão, Lao Prime Minister Saleumxay Kommasith and Vietnamese Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng were among the prominent leaders who arrived in the Philippine capital on Saturday.United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres also arrived in Manila to participate in the high-level international gathering.
Other regional leaders expected to arrive include Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva is also expected to attend.Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva arrived in Manila on Friday as a Guest of the Chair. His visit marks the first state visit by a sitting Brazilian president to the Philippines and coincides with the 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.The summit will be chaired by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and will bring together ASEAN member states and dialogue partners to discuss key regional and international developments.Major agenda items are expected to include food and energy security, transnational crime, economic cooperation and the ongoing crisis in Myanmar. ASEAN leaders will also engage with parliamentarians, business representatives and youth groups during the three-day gathering.A key development on the sidelines of the summit will be the signing of the Philippines-Australia Defense Cooperation Arrangement on November 15.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is scheduled to witness the signing ceremony at the Eva Macapagal Cruise Terminal in Manila South Harbor.Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Australian Ambassador Marc Innes-Brown will sign the agreement, further strengthening defense ties between the two countries through military cooperation, joint exercises and maritime security engagements.The summit also marks an important milestone for Timor-Leste, which formally joined ASEAN in October 2025 as the bloc’s 11th member, becoming its first new member since Cambodia’s admission in 1999.The Philippines, which holds the ASEAN chairmanship for 2026, is scheduled to hand over the leadership of the regional organization to Singapore for 2027.
