Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said that Malaysia, in its capacity as the rotating ASEAN chair, has invited U.S. President Trump to attend the ASEAN summit because the United States is a dialogue partner in the region.
He pointed out that Trump was not invited based on bilateral Malaysia-U.S. relations, but rather in his capacity as the head of a dialogue partner country. This invitation is in accordance with the chair's responsibility to invite all leaders.
"As the rotating ASEAN chair, we invite all heads of state to attend the summit. There should not be a situation where some countries are not invited while others are. This is not good diplomatic practice. ASEAN must be seen as adhering to a neutral policy."
He said this today at a press conference after inspecting the Sumud Nusantara Command Centre (SNCC).
He emphasized that the principle of neutrality is a core strength for ASEAN in maintaining regional stability, thereby safeguarding ASEAN’s centrality—namely, its role as the region’s reference point and main platform for dialogue.