DHAKA, Aug 31, 2023 (BSS) - President Mohammed Shahabuddin will leave Dhaka for Jakarta, Indonesia on Monday to join ASEAN summit to be held from September 5-7.

From Indonesia, he will go to Singapore for health cheek up on September 8.

"The President will attend the 43rd ASEAN summit and 18th East Asia Summit at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC) on September 5-7," President's press secretary Md Joynal Abedin told BSS today.

A VVIP aircraft (BG 1910) of Bangladesh Biman Airlines is scheduled to depart the Hazrat Shahjalal (R.) International Airport (HSIA) at noon and land at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK), Jakarta at 1815 hrs on September 4, he said.
 
On the sidelines of the summit, President Shahabuddin will hold separate bilateral meetings with his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, and some other state leaders of Thailand, Malaysia and Timor-Leste.

The 43rd ASEAN Summit in Jakarta has a hectic agenda for three days.

The Indonesian president is estimated to lead 12 meetings during the summit, whether conference or non-conference meetings.

The 43rd ASEAN Summit will not only be attended by organizational leaders from ASEAN countries. However, partner countries will also participate in it: China, India, South Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, the Russian Federation, and the United States, according to ASEAN secretariat. 

The leaders of the Pacific Island Forum, the Prime Minister of Canada, the Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the World Bank (World Bank) are also planning to attend the 43rd ASEAN Summit in Jakarta, said a news released in the website.

Later, the Indonesian President will also chair the 18th East Asia Summit (EAS), which consists of 18 members, including the 10 ASEAN countries, the United States, the Russian Federation, New Zealand, Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, and India.

The 43rd ASEAN Summit in Jakarta will discuss the development and strengthening of ASEAN cooperation with external partners.

The 43rd ASEAN Summit will discuss several important themes as the Code of Conduct regarding the South China Sea, the South East Asia Nuclear Weapon Free Zone (SEANWFZ), the ASEAN Maritime Outlook, the ASEAN Outlook in Indo Pacific (AOIP), and issues related to Myanmar.

In addition, it is expected that the 43rd ASEAN Summit in Jakarta will also produce several important agreements, such as agreements related to ASEAN infrastructure strengthening, food security, blue economy, and green economy, as well as the digital economy and payment ecosystem.

Meanwhile, winding up the 43rd ASEAN Summit and 18th East Asia Summit, President Shahabuddin will leave Jakarta for Singapore, where he along with his spouse Prof Dr Rebecca Sultana, will have health cheek up.

The President is expected to return home from Singapore by an aircraft (BG-585) of Bangladesh Biman Airlines on September 16 evening, according to programme schedule.