Kuala Lumpur Convention Center is the venue of the 46th ASEAN Summit and related meetings. Photo: Ngoc Diep/VOV

At a press conference ahead of the 46th ASEAN Summit, the Foreign Minister said the initiative is proposed by Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim  with the hope of convening the ASEAN-US Summit sometime this year.

The Foreign Minister also said that he had discussed with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio over the phone in early April about choosing an appropriate time to hold the Summit during Malaysia’s ASEAN Chair this year.

It is expected to be a forum for ASEAN and the US to discuss economic cooperation, security and sustainable development, and to seek solutions to pressing geopolitical issues, including stability in the Indo-Pacific region and trade relations.