President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Sunday said he looks forward to engaging discussions with fellow Southeast Asian leaders on emerging regional challenges and developments since the last gathering of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

President Marcos, who will attend the 46th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur from May 26 to 27, emphasized the importance of continuing dialogue and collaboration within the ASEAN to ensure peace, stability, and prosperity in the region.

“And I wish that all the new issues that have come up in the year since the Lao Chairmanship will now be addressed and I look forward to a very productive and constructive consultation with our fellow member states in ASEAN,” the President said in his departure speech at the Villamor Air Base on Sunday.

Laos served as ASEAN chairman in 2024, hosting the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits in Vientiane last October.

In his speech, President Marcos cited pressing regional and global challenges, among them developments in the South China Sea, the situation in Myanmar, threats to regional peace and maritime security, and the unilateral import tariffs imposed by the United States.

“I will continue to champion our advocacies in promoting an open, inclusive, and rules-based international order, and for the peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law,” President Marcos stressed.

Over the past year, the Philippines has faced heightened challenges in the West Philippine Sea, with increased incidents involving Chinese vessels and aircraft in areas within the country’s exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea.

This year’s ASEAN Summit will also discuss the development of a regional framework on Artificial Intelligence (AI) as well as the far-reaching impacts of climate change, economic volatility, and digital disruption. | PND