President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will reaffirm the Philippines’ commitment to protecting its sovereignty and accelerating talks on a binding Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea during the 46th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related Meetings in Kuala Lumpur next week, a senior foreign affairs official said Thursday.
In a press briefing in Malacañang, Department of Foreign Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary Dominic Xavier Imperial said Marcos will attend nine leaders-level engagements from May 26 to 27, including the ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council Summit and the ASEAN-GCC-China Summit.
The meetings will be hosted by Malaysia, this year’s ASEAN Chair, with the theme “Inclusivity and Sustainability.”
“In all these engagements, the President will continue to uphold and promote Philippine interests in ASEAN such as deepening security and stability in the region, economic cooperation and broadening engagement with dialogue partners,” Imperial said.
He added that Marcos will emphasize the Philippines’ position on the SCS, anchored on international law.
“The President will continue to underscore the Philippines’ sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in accordance with international law including the 1982 UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) and the 2016 arbitral award,” he said.
On May 26, Mr. Marcos’ schedule includes the Plenary and Retreat Sessions of the 46th ASEAN Summit, three interface meetings with ASEAN parliamentarians, business leaders, and youth representatives, and the signing ceremony for the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on ASEAN Vision 2045.
The following day, Mr. Marcos will chair the 16th Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Summit.
ASEAN Leaders are also expected to discuss pressing issues such as the situation in Myanmar, new U.S. tariff policies, and other geopolitical and geoeconomic challenges affecting the region.
The President may also hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summits, with potential talks underway with the leaders of Laos, Kuwait, and Vietnam, according to Imperial.
Imperial also stated that President Marcos will be accompanied by the foreign affairs chief and the trade secretary, amid the recent reshuffle of Cabinet secretaries in the Marcos administration.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “DFA: Marcos to highlight Philippine sovereignty, economy in ASEAN Summit”
