Labuan Bajo, Indonesia
May 10, 2023

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. joined his counterparts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for a meeting with the High-Level Task Force on ASEAN Community’s Post 2025 Vision (HLTF-ACV) at the Meruorah Convention Center in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia.

President Joko Widodo of Indonesia, this year’s ASEAN Chair, impressed on his fellow ASEAN Leaders to prepare for the worst amid the complex challenges facing the region.

“ASEAN must be prepared to be able to handle the challenges that are getting more complex. We have to prepare for the worst but remain hoping for the best. And this is where the role of the HLTF is very crucial to identify all the challenges and also the opportunities way ahead of the future and to ensure that the ASEAN can continue to contribute to the region and the world,” President Widodo said, underscoring the need for the crafting of the ASEAN Vision of 2045 to be more adaptive and forward looking.

During Indonesia’s ASEAN 2023 Chairmanship, the Task Force aims to strengthen ASEAN’s institutional capacity and effectiveness, with the goal of promoting regional peace and stability among Member States and partner countries. This effort will enable ASEAN to work more effectively and overcome challenges in the next 20 years.

Aside from strengthening ASEAN institutions, other topics included drafting of the ASEAN Post 2025 Vision, post-pandemic economic recovery, strengthening health architecture in the region, as well as other important issues related to the regional bloc. These include the progress of the Five-Point Consensus (5PC) implementation that seeks to resolve the crisis in Myanmar and other developments outside the region.

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo, Ambassador Elizabeth Buensuceso (Philippines’ Eminent Person to the Task Force) and Ambassador Luis Cruz (High-Level Representative to the Task Force) joined President Marcos Jr. in the meeting.

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