(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte said the dream of all Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders was for their country to have a “cohesive partnership” with all member-states of the bloc.
“If the (European Union) can do it, why can’t we?” Duterte said when asked what would happen after the Philippines relinquishes chairmanship of ASEAN to Singapore at the end of the 31st ASEAN Summit and Related Summits from November 10 to 14.
He added that so far, “little if at all is being listened to on our front.”
In the coming year, then, ASEAN member-states “will be discussing these issues, more along these lines,” he said.
“Maybe this time, or in the succeeding years, in the fullness of God’s time (that will change),” he said, noting that the world was “veering (toward) Easternization.”
“Wag lang sana magkagulo,” he added.
The ASEAN bloc is composed of the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, VIetnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Brunei.
