This information was released at a press conference held by the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs on August 8 to announce the country’s preparations for the events.Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith as ASEAN Chairman, will preside over 11 summits, including the 28th and 29th ASEAN Summits; summits between ASEAN and China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, the UN, India and the US; the 19th ASEAN+3 Summit; and the fourth East Asia Summit, according to Phongsavanh Sisoulath , Head of the ministry’s ASEAN Department .The official added that ASEAN leaders will discuss the building of the ASEAN Community, especially the realisation of the ASEAN Vision 2025 and three master plans during a plenary session of the 28 th ASEAN Summit.The 29th ASEAN Summit will be a retreat where the leaders will debate the ten-member group’s external relations and its future orientations. They will also compare notes on regional and international issues of mutual concern, he said.Of note, the ASEAN leaders will hold a dialogue with representatives of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly for the first time.There will also be dialogues between the ASEAN leaders and representatives of ASEAN youth and the ASEAN Business Advisory Council, along with a range of meetings to be held on the sidelines of the events.A press centre will be set up at the International Cooperation and Training Centre, about 1km from the National Convention Centre – the venue for the summits.About 1,600 international reporters are expected to carry news on the events.
