47th ASEAN Summit: Russia’s Vladimir Putin will be represented by DPM Alexander Novak

Russia would be represented by its deputy prime minister Alexander Novak instead of its president, Vladimir Putin at the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur next week.

“President Putin has confirmed that he’s not coming. He is exploring the possibility of coming the following year,” Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim confirmed at a media briefing ahead of the 47th ASEAN Summit.

The confirmation effectively ended speculation over Putin’s visit as he had previously told Anwar that he was “seriously considering to attend the summit.

The three-day summit, scheduled from Oct 26 to 28, is expected to be the largest gathering of world leaders, including US president Donald Trump, alongside leaders from ASEAN member states.

Another absentee is Myanmar’s acting president senior general Min Aung Hlaing. The junta ruler would be absent as Myanmar has not fully adhered to ASEAN’s five-point consensus.

On another note, Anwar also confirmed that cross-border online scams will again be a hot issue at the summit since ASEAN is seeking stronger collective action to address the growing transnational threat.