Marcos to attend ASEAN Summit in Malaysia on May 26-27
Metro Manila, Philippines - President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on May 26-27, Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said on Monday, May 5.
“Asahan niyo po … a-attend po ang ating pangulo sa nasabing ASEAN Summit,” Castro said in a statement.
[Translation: The summit will be held on May 26 to 27. You can expect that our president will attend the ASEAN Summit.]
Marcos and his Malaysian counterpart, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, talked by phone on Friday, May 2, where they discussed economic and security challenges facing the region. Castro said the two leaders discussed the issues with a positive outlook.
"Ang napag-usapan naman nila ay iyong nakikita natin sa body language at sa magandang pagngiti ng Pangulo. Ibig pong sabihin ay napag-usapan nila ang mga hamon sa ekonomiya at seguridad na maaaring kaharapin po ng ASEAN," Castro shared.
[We can see from the president's body language and his pleasant smile that the discussions covered the economic and security challenges ASEAN may face.]
Castro said the president is eager to continue the conversation at the regional summit.
South China Sea Code of Conduct
The Philippines is also taking proactive steps in addressing regional security, notably through the recent ASEAN-China Code of Conduct (COC) talks in Manila. The country aired during the event its concerns on recent incidents in the West Philippine Sea that challenged Philippine sovereignty and safety.
The Philippines, through these dialogues, continues to emphasize the importance of international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, as well as the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award, which China refused to recognize.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said it remains committed to peaceful negotiations and constructive diplomacy to address maritime disputes in the region.
The next round of COC negotiations will take place in Malaysia later this year.
