NAIA Terminal II, Pasay City
25 April 2013

President Benigno S. Aquino III is back in Manila after his attendance to the 22nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Brunei Darussalam.

In his arrival statement, President Aquino said that he and other ASEAN leaders realize the importance of building stronger relations among member countries in dealing with various issues, most particularly about resolving the territorial disputes in the region.

“Nagpapasalamat tayo sa ASEAN Chairman na si Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah ng Brunei, gayundin sa iba pang pinuno ng rehiyon na sumang-ayon sa panawagan natin para sa mas mahigpit na implementasyon ng mga prinsipyong nakapaloob sa Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. Isinulong din natin na matutukan, sa lalong madaling panahon, ang pagbuo ng isang Code of Conduct, na kikilalanin, igagalang, at susundin ng bawat miyembro bilang pundasyon ng ugnayan, estabilidad, at kaunlaran sa Timog Silangang Asya,” he said.

In a bilateral meeting, the President also thanked Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung for forging stronger relations with the Philippines.

“Mula sa maritime cooperation, at sa agresibong kalakalan, hanggang sa iba’t ibang sektor at larangan, nasa interes ng Pilipinas at Vietnam na samantalahin ang mas dumadaming pagkakataon tungo sa mas matibay na relasyon at tiyak na kaunlaran,” President Aquino said.

He also attended the 9th Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Summit, which reviewed the progress of cooperation in the pursuit of establishing BIMP-EAGA as a regional food basket and ecotourism destination.

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