ADDRESSING TRANSNATIONAL PROBLEMS. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. takes part in the 27th ASEAN-Japan Summit at the National Convention Center in Vientiane, Laos on Thursday (Oct. 10, 2024). During his intervention, Marcos warned of the increasing transnational problems such as the unilateral actions in the East South China Seas that pose a risk to peace and stability. (PCO photo)
MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday cautioned that increasing transnational problems could undermine peace and stability in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
During the 27th ASEAN-Japan Summit in Laos, Marcos cited the unilateral actions in the East and South China Seas as among the risks.
He urged his fellow leaders to remain resolute in addressing transnational challenges.
“The common problems in our region are increasingly transnational in nature. Unilateral actions in the East and in the South China Sea continue to undermine peace and stability in the region,” Marcos said.
“We, therefore, must remain steadfast in our responsibility, building on mutual trust, in upholding maritime security and cooperation, territorial integrity, disarmament, and the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons,” he added.
Marcos said ASEAN-Japan relations continue to fortify a rules-based Indo-Pacific Region that is free and open through shared fundamental principles in fostering peace, stability, and prosperity.
He also lauded Japan’s commitment to partnering for peace and stability through the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) Plus.
“The Philippines looks forward to advancing our partnership through our Co-Chairing of the ADMM Plus Experts’ Working Group on Maritime Security for 2024 to 2027,” Marcos said.
The ARF is a platform dedicated for security dialogues in the Indo-Pacific Region where members develop cooperative measures to mitigate the impacts of compounding crises and enhance peace and security.
Established in 1994, the ARF comprises of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Russia, the United States, Bangladesh, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Mongolia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Papua New Guinea, and Timor-Leste.
On the other hand, the ADMM Plus is a dialogue platform for ASEAN and its eight Dialogue Partners, Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russia and the US, collectively referred to as the “Plus Countries.”
The group aims to strengthen security and defense cooperation among member-states.
Marcos welcomed Japan’s commitment to the common vision of the two parties being “a world built on shared principles and values, the rule of law and good governance, and respect for and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
“We appreciate Japan’s support for strengthening and promoting ASEAN Centrality, through the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP),” he said.
Marcos also thanked Japan for its support as Partner for Co-Creation of Economy and Society of the Future through the mechanisms of the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR), as well as the ASEAN-JICA Food Value Chain Development Project, promoting sustainable agriculture and food security. (PNA)
