MANILA – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. will attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summits and related meetings in Phnom Penh in Cambodia next month, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Thursday.
“These will be the first Asean Summits to be held in person since the onset of the pandemic, and the first to be attended by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. since he assumed the Presidency,” the agency said in a release.
The agency said preparations are underway for the meetings, which are set from Nov. 10 to 13.
Last Oct. 5, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary and Philippine Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) Leader Ma. Theresa Lazaro participated in the Asean Joint Consultative Meeting and Related Meetings in Cambodia, where meetings with Asean dialogue partners were also discussed.
The senior officials exchanged views on cross-sectoral and cross-pillar issues of concern, Asean’s post-pandemic economic recovery initiatives, the application of Timor-Leste to become a member of Asean, accession of countries to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, and various regional and international issues.
In a separate forum Thursday, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo reaffirmed Manila’s commitment to working with Southeast Asian states to strengthen Asean bodies to help maintain a peaceful and stable region.
“As we prepare now for the Asean summit in November, the Philippines has recommitted to the formulation of an Asean community vision that strengthens our institutions and mechanisms and enables Asean member states to craft regional policies and implement programs and activities with a certain degree of independence from external influences,” he said. (PNA)