(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte officially opened the 31st ASEAN Summit on Monday, November 13, 2017 as he welcomed the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its dialogue partners.
He said this was a momentous and historic occasion and an opportunity for nations to help each other and address issues and problems affecting the world as a whole.
He also thanked the countries who helped the Philippines in its fight against IS-inspired terrorists in Marawi City.
He opened his speech on Monday morning recalling how the Philippine forces defeated Islamist-State inspired terrorists in Marawi City.
“Less than a month ago, Philippine government forces liberated the city of Marawi from terrorist groups who pledged allegiance to the Islamic state,” he said as he started his speech. “We are now in the process of helping people back on their feet.
We thank our international partners for their help.”
Duterte thanked the leaders of the countries — the other ASEAN member nations and dialogue partners — who helped provide valuable assistance to the Philippines in those times, be it in the form of relief goods and in military assistance.
“Your Majesties, your excellencies, I apologize for setting the tone of my statement in such a manner but I only want to emphasize that our meetings for the next two days, present an excellent opportunity for us to engage in meaningful discussion on matters of regional and international importance,” he said.
The Philippine leader and current chair of the ASEAN cited as an example the problem of terrorism, which he said, knows no boundaries.
“Piracy and armed robbery in the seas put a dent on our growth and disrupt the stability of both regional and global commerce. The menace of illegal drug trade continue to endanger the very fabric of our societies,” Duterte said.
He said these and other issues are high on the agenda in the 31st ASEAN Summit.