Reception Hall, Malacañan Palace
October 26, 2021

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte attended the 22nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – Republic of Korea Summit with his fellow ASEAN Leaders via virtual convention.

Amid the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Republic of Korea has donated generously to the COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund, including an additional US$5 million early this month, and remained to be one of the largest investors in the regional bloc.

The ASEAN Leaders welcomed the Joint Statement on Advancing ASEAN-ROK Cooperation and supported the ROK’s New Southern Policy Plus towards establishing peace and prosperity in the post COVID-19 period.

Likewise, the Leaders urged further collaboration with the Republic of Korea on vaccine production, research, information and communications technology (ICT), free trade agreement (FTA), and building resilient and smart communities, among other areas of cooperation.

Chaired by Brunei Darussalam, this year’s 39th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits centered on the theme, ‘We Care, We Prepare, We Prosper.’ Due to the ongoing public health emergency in Southeast Asia, all meetings relative to the ASEAN Summit were held via virtual convention.

* * *