Jakarta, Indonesia
September 6, 2023

“I cannot emphasize enough the expediency of maintaining peace and stability in the region through the adherence to the rule of law, particularly the 1982 UNCLOS. Our shifting security issues make it quite clear that we must work together for the sake of peace and stability in our region and beyond,” reiterated President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in his intervention statement delivered before the Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan during the 26th ASEAN-Japan Summit at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC) in Jakarta, Indonesia.

In his message, the President commended the trilateral partnership initiated by Japan, together with the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the United States of America (USA), to promote security amid geopolitical competition, the climate crisis, the war in Ukraine, and nuclear threats and other challenges faced by the Indo-Pacific region.

“I commend the combination of hard work and vision that resulted in the Joint Statement dubbed, ‘The Spirit of Camp David’,” he stated, adding that the Statement consolidated a common security agenda on the most problematic issues in the region that undermine regional peace and prosperity.

“As maritime nations, both the Philippines and Japan not only share the common interest of maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea, but also in enhancing our resiliency in responding to maritime disasters,” the Chief Executive continued.

He also mentioned that the trilateral maritime exercises conducted among the Coast Guards of the Philippines, Japan, and the United Stated held in June 2023 were the first of its kind among the three (3) countries, highlighting that these exercises reinforced the interoperability among the coast guards of said countries in responding to maritime disasters and strengthened Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) cooperation.

Closing his message, President Marcos Jr. conveyed his enthusiasm for the Special Summit commemorating the 50th Anniversary of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation that will be held in Tokyo this December, calling the event a proof of the enduring relations between the two sides.

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