Tokyo, Japan
December 17, 2023

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. graced a gala dinner for the leaders attending the Commemorative Summit for the 50th Year of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – Japan Friendship and Cooperation in Tokyo, Japan.

In view of the milestone celebration of 50 years of ASEAN-Japan relations and cooperation, the Commemorative Summit featured three sessions that focus within the ASEAN-Japan framework. The first session centered on Japan’s contribution to ASEAN’s community-building efforts, as well as its consistent support for ASEAN Centrality and rules-based international order. This was followed by ‘Heart to Heart’ Partnership across Generations and finally the Co-Creation of Economy and Society of the Future.

During his intervention in the second session of the Summit earlier, President Marcos Jr. emphasized the 50 years of harmonious relations between ASEAN and Japan as a testament of friendship, trust and shared concerns that are considered the building blocks of peace and stability in the region.

“We look forward to ASEAN’s and Japan’s continued partnership beyond the 50th year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation. We have done much in the previous 50 years, I believe the future can even be brighter,” he said.

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Japan is one of the first dialogue partners of ASEAN and one of the most dynamic. Its participation in the regional bloc has covered not only political and security matters such as defense and transnational crime and mutual legal assistance, but also mutual economic, cultural and people-to-people activities.

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