Marcos opens ASEAN Summit, warns global tensions threaten regional stability

Metro Manila, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. warned that escalating geopolitical tensions and instability in the Middle East are threatening Southeast Asia’s security and economic stability, calling for a united regional response as he opened the 49th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Manila.

Speaking before regional leaders and international partners at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City, Marcos said developments in the Middle East earlier this year had placed ASEAN nationals at risk and disrupted transportation, energy and food supplies, underscoring the region’s vulnerability to global crises.

“Geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty, new technologies, climate change, and transnational threats are reshaping our region faster than any one country can respond to alone,” Marcos said.

The president recalled that the Middle East crisis had prompted ASEAN leaders to consider postponing the 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu earlier this year as member states grappled with its consequences.

“We considered whether to hold our meeting in abeyance while we attended to the necessities at home,” he said. “But in our consultations, we reached a clear consensus that it was precisely the moment for ASEAN to come together to forge a decisive response.”

Marcos said ASEAN instead adjusted its summit agenda and continued its work despite the disruptions.

“Refusing to be distracted, we reconfigured the summit, focused on the fundamentals, and began the work that faced us,” he said.

The president stressed that no ASEAN member state could independently address the growing challenges confronting the region.

“No member state possesses every resource, every capability, or every solution required by the challenges and opportunities we face; but where national capacities are tested, regional strength reinforces,” Marcos said.

Marcos said this year’s summit priorities focus on peace and security anchors, prosperity corridors and people empowerment.

He highlighted progress in maritime cooperation, efforts to combat human trafficking, cybercrime and online scams, and initiatives to strengthen regional trade, energy connectivity and digital economic integration.

He also cited the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement, progress on the ASEAN Power Grid and cooperation on artificial intelligence, disaster preparedness and social protection.

Marking the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, Marcos emphasized the importance of mutual respect, the renunciation of the threat or use of force, and the peaceful settlement of disputes.

Marcos said the decisions reached during the summit would shape ASEAN’s response to present and future challenges.

“Over the coming days, alongside our external partners, the choices we make will shape how ASEAN meets the challenges of today, seizes the opportunities of tomorrow, and prepares the region for the coming generations,” he said.