Marcos to reaffirm PH sovereignty at ASEAN summit in Malaysia
Metro Manila, Philippines - President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will assert the Philippines’ sovereignty and sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) when he meets with regional and global leaders at the 46th ASEAN Summit and related summits in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on May 26 to 27.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed that Marcos will reiterate the country’s adherence to international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 arbitral award, as he joins fellow Southeast Asian leaders and dialogue partners.
“This is an opportunity for the president to promote Philippine interests in ASEAN—especially in deepening regional security and stability, expanding economic cooperation, and pushing for peaceful resolution of maritime disputes,” DFA Deputy Assistant Secretary Deputy Assistant Secretary Dominic Xavier Imperial.
The Philippines is expected to push for the early conclusion of the long-delayed Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea, following the 2023 commitment of ASEAN foreign ministers to fast-track negotiations.
“The President will raise this with ASEAN leaders and reaffirm the goal of concluding the COC by 2026,” Imperial said.
Marcos will attend nine high-level engagements across the two-day summit, including the plenary and retreat sessions of the ASEAN Summit, interface meetings with parliamentarians, youth leaders, and business councils, and the signing of the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on ASEAN Vision 2045.
He will also lead the 16th Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Summit and participate in the ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and ASEAN-GCC-China Summits.
Leaders will also tackle pressing geopolitical and economic concerns, including the situation in Myanmar, new US tariff policies, and wider global challenges.
So far, 22 outcome documents are expected to be issued, including joint statements and declarations on ASEAN’s future direction and cooperation with its external partners.
Marcos is expected to be joined by Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque. Possible bilateral meetings with counterparts from Laos, Kuwait, and Vietnam are also being arranged.
