MANILA (Lord Media): Global leaders are set to gather in Asia for a series of significant meetings addressing topics from AI to trade and possibly nuclear disarmament.

The 11-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will begin its final leaders’ summit of the year on Sunday in Manila, with French President Emmanuel Macron attending a Francophonie summit in Phnom Penh.

Attention will then shift north to the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference in Shenzhen, where Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to play a pivotal role, and India’s Narendra Modi will join the ASEAN meet.

US President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney are set to attend both events. Analysts suggest that Trump’s recent midterm election defeat will not significantly alter his perception in the region.

The proposed meeting between China’s Xi Jinping, Trump, and Putin at the APEC conference remains shrouded in mystery, though it is expected to draw significant attention. While Putin advocates for talks on Ukraine, Trump has indicated a focus on denuclearisation and resolving the conflict in Iran.