Phnom Penh, Cambodia
November 12, 2022

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. underscored the Philippines’ commitment in collaborating with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Plus Three Dialogue Partners from the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Japan and Republic of Korea (ROK) during his intervention at the 25th ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Noting the significant progress achieved under the ASEAN-APT partnership for the past 25 years, President Marcos Jr. emphasized that the country looks forward to the new APT Cooperation Work Plan 2023-2027 centering on substantive priority areas including public health, food security, financial cooperation and digital economy towards a post-pandemic economic recovery.

The President urged his fellow leaders to hasten the implementation of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025 to expand partnerships within the APT in the digital domain. He also stated the country’s commitment to actively engage in the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR), adding that it is extremely beneficial to countries vulnerable to many hazards and natural calamities due to topography and geographic location.

“It is my hope that, in the coming years, we will look back on today and see a time when the ASEAN community, in partnership with its Dialogue Partners, came together to move forward, with ASEAN at the center, leaving no one behind. Together, we can overcome any challenges and rise above new challenges as one,” President Marcos Jr. said.

The APT Summit is a regional cooperation mechanism that began in December 1997. Since then, cooperation among the APT Members has broadened in the following areas: political and security, transnational crime, trade and investment, finance, tourism, agriculture and forestry, energy, among others.

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