Phnom Penh, Cambodia
November 12, 2022

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. called for stronger cooperation between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and India during his intervention at the 19th ASEAN-India Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

With the forging of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, President Marcos Jr. underscored the need to closely work on maritime security and economic prosperity cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, as aligned in the shared concern of preventing further environmental degradation and allowing the Region’s marine ecosystem to thrive.

He encouraged India to continue supporting the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity in mitigating biodiversity loss. This is to help address the challenges brought by increasing ferocity and frequency of natural catastrophes such as droughts and typhoons as effect of the worsening climate change around the world.

The Chief Executive likewise enumerated the country’s priorities on food security, agriculture, medicines and vaccines in pursuing closer and broader ASEAN-India Relations. He called on his counterparts from the Region to “not miss the opportunity of having the ‘pharmacy of the world’ as our close neighbor and Dialogue Partner” in order to achieve a healthy ASEAN populace.

This year’s ASEAN-India Summit coincided with the 30th anniversary celebration of the ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations.

*  *  *