Villamor Air Base, Pasay City
November 14, 2022
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. underscored the importance of strengthening food security towards self-sufficiency in Southeast Asia amid the threats of global food crisis as he concluded his successful participation to the 40th and 41st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summits and Related Summits held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on 10-13 November 2022.
“I am pleased to report that my visit to Cambodia for the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summit was successful,” said the Chief Executive, adding that he has previously engaged in ASEAN Summits, but the recently concluded summits in Cambodia were the first ones he attended as the country’s highest official.
In a brief statement, he reported the outcomes of the series of bilateral meetings with ASEAN Leaders and its Dialogue Partners that sought to address regional pressing issues and community-building efforts.
He deemed his foreign visit fruitful and engaging, as he strengthened ties and exchanged views with his counterparts from Cambodia, Brunei, Republic of Korea, Vietnam and Canada.
“In all these meetings, I articulated our national interests and our commitment to working with ASEAN [and] our Dialogue Partners to find common ground to address the issues affecting our region and to strengthen cooperation,” he remarked.
Likewise, he stressed the significance of collaborative efforts and global dialogue among ASEAN Member States to drive the region towards economic recovery and transformation in the post-COVID-19 era.
President Marcos Jr. capped of his foreign visit with a meeting with the Filipino community in Cambodia where he expressed his deepest gratitude towards their instrumental contribution to the Philippines’ national development as well as that of Cambodia’s economic reconstruction and rehabilitation.
With its goal to accelerate economic growth and social development in the Region, the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits and Related Summits adopted the theme, “ASEAN A.C.T.: Addressing Challenges Together”.
The Philippines and other ASEAN Member States set their sight on a number of policies that would allow trade prices to go down, free flow and increased mobility of skilled labor, cross-border transport and healthcare services as well as minimize restrictions on foreign investments within Southeast Asia, among others.
With Indonesia assuming Chairmanship in next year’s 42nd and 43rd ASEAN Summits, the President voiced his support to the new leadership and is looking forward to working with the incoming ASEAN Chair.
* * *