MANILA: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. pledged continuity and inclusivity as his country took over as chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations from Malaysia on Tuesday.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim handed over the rotating ASEAN chairmanship to Marcos at the closing ceremony of a leader’s meeting in Kuala Lumpur, marking the end of Malaysia’s year-long leadership of the bloc.
“Guided by the theme ‘Navigating Our Future, Together’ the Philippines will continue to fortify our peace and security anchors, strengthen our prosperity corridors, and advance people empowerment,” Marcos said.
“Our chairship arrives at the defining moment for ASEAN, one marked by both promise and complexity. Although the tides of change may be unpredictable, our compass must remain constant, anchored in cooperation. It must be oriented toward maintaining a stable and secure region, built upon a shared vision of an open, inclusive, transparent and rules-based ASEAN regional architecture.”
On the sidelines of the annual leaders’ summit in Kuala Lumpur, ASEAN and China signed into effect an upgrade to their free trade agreement, following negotiations that started in November 2022. The deal is expected to improve market access in various sectors, including agriculture, the digital economy and pharmaceuticals.
