PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. left yesterday for Phnom Penh, Cambodia to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summits from November 10 to 13.
Vice President and concurrent Education Secretary Sara Duterte has been designated as the head of the caretaker committee while the President is abroad.
Marcos said he will promote and protect Philippine interests, including promoting the country not just as an investment center and a tourism partner, but also as a “global partner” of all nations, during the 40th and 41st Asean Summits and other Related Summits.
“It is my first time to attend the Asean Summit as a leader, the highest policy-making body of Asan. In the next few days, the Leaders of Asean Member States will discuss and provide policy decisions on current political, security, economic, and socio-cultural developments, as well as global issues that are affecting Southeast Asian and this region and beyond,” the President said.
“We will also hold Summits with Asean’s Dialogue Partners, including Australia, Canada, China, Japan, India, the Republic of Korea, and the United States, to review existing and new areas of cooperation and exchange views on regional and international issues,” Marcos added.
Present during the departure honors at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 in Pasay City were Speaker Martin Romualdez, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual, Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra, Press Undersecretary Cheloy Garafil, Pasay Rep. Antonino Calixto, Pasay Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Lt. General Bartolome Vincent, Bacarro, PNP chief Rodolfo Azurin Jr., and First Lady Liza Marcos.
The President said in promoting the Philippines’ interests, the country will raise and emphasize regional cooperation on maritime security, climate change, food security, health cooperation and economic recovery, as well as “address regional issues such as the pandemic and the situation in Myanmar, developments in the South China Sea, and the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, among other important matters.”
Marcos said he will also convey the Philippines’ continuing support for Asean Centrality, for Cambodia as the current Chair of Asean, and for Indonesia as the incoming chair next year.
He said he will also have bilateral meetings with other leaders from Asean and Asean’s Dialogue Partners where he intends to seek further cooperation in key priorities of his administration and explore more areas to address the most pressing issues in the region.
“I have spoken often about the importance that I put to the partnerships that we make as we go forward and start to live the future of the new global economy. And I think this is going to be a very, very good opportunity for us to forge new partnerships and to strengthen those that have already existed for a very long time. And it is also an important – it is an important Asean conference specifically because this is the first time Asean has been able to meet after about three years,” he added.
The Department of Foreign Affairs previously said the President is expected to meet with the Cambodian Prime Minister and the Korean President on the sidelines of his participation at the Summit.
Marcos will also meet with the Filipino community in Cambodia. The Office of the Press Secretary said the President is expected to update Filipinos overseas about his administration’s programs and policies, especially on the protection and promotion of their rights and welfare.
After attending the Summits, the President will attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit and Economic Leaders’ Meeting (AELM) in Bangkok in Thailand from November 16 to 19 where he will push for issues on food security, energy security, and climate change, along with post-coronavirus disease recovery.
In December, Marcos is also expected to attend the Asean-EU (European Union) Summit in Brussels, Belgium.
