QUEZON City, Philippines (Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte asked the members of the Association of South East Asian Nation to adopt a stronger ASEAN spirit so that the region can rise up to the challenges that it faces.
“We have established amongst ourselves good neighborliness that allow for secure and stable relations. But we also see in ourselves the very same burning desire to move forward together based on shared values,” the president said in his speech during the ASEAN 2017 launch in Davao City Sunday.
“We see the very same resolve to work together for a world that recognizes interconnectedness and respects for the sovereign independence. This is one of the important lessons that ASEAN can hold to the Asia-Pacific region and our world,” he added.
“But we too have learned many lessons. One of them is that the unity and cooperation that have defined ASEAN over the last five decades will be crucial to our collective success. We realize that, in truth, there is still a lot of hard work to be done for true transformation that will benefit our peoples in the region,” Duterte said.
Duterte also exhorted ASEAN members to commit to the principles of the association based on rule of law.
“In our work, we will be guided by the following priorities: We will place our peoples at the core; work for regional peace and stability; pursue maritime security and cooperation; advance inclusive, innovation-led growth; strengthen ASEAN resiliency; and promote ASEAN as a model of regionalism and as a global player,” he said.
“This is a tremendous task but one that is not unachievable,” he added.