Black Fez Diplomacy Continues as Prabowo Attends ASEAN Summit Climax

Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Prabowo Subianto attended the opening ceremony of the 48th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings at the Mactan Expo in Cebu, Philippines, on Friday, to once again lead Indonesia’s “black fez diplomacy” delegation at the bloc’s highest forum.

Prabowo arrived at the Mactan Expo in the presidential Maung Garuda vehicle. His arrival was greeted by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. along with the First Lady of the Philippines, Marie Louise Araneta-Marcos.

Prabowo shook hands with the host, after which the three posed for a photo together in the welcoming area for the opening ceremony of the 48th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings.

Afterwards, President Prabowo, dressed in a black suit and trousers complete with a blue tie accented by blue stripes and a black fez, entered the waiting room to await the arrival of other ASEAN member state leaders.

Prabowo’s arrival was followed by Laotian Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim accompanied by his wife Wan Azizah, Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, and East Timorese Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão.

Subsequently, the next leaders to arrive were Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, accompanied by his son, Prince Abdul Mateen.

After the welcoming session, the Philippine President walked alongside all ASEAN country leaders into the opening ceremony room for the 48th ASEAN Summit. President Prabowo sat in the front row with other ASEAN member state leaders.

A performance of traditional Filipino arts opened the series of opening ceremonies, followed by remarks from the host, Philippine President.

Then, after the remarks, President Marcos Jr. invited all ASEAN member state leaders to the stage for a group photo, complete with the signature “ASEAN handshake” pose.

Upon completing the entire opening ceremony programme, all country leaders left the room and entered the waiting area to proceed with the core activities of the 48th ASEAN Summit, scheduled to begin at 10:00 local time.