BBM back in Australia for Asean summit

MELBOURNE – Days after his visit to Canberra, President Marcos departed for Melbourne to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – Australia Special Summit, where he is expected to discuss key issues with fellow leaders.

- ALEXIS ROMERO

In his departure statement, Marcos said the visit would allow him to express the Philippines’ stance on various issues, thank Australia for backing the rule of law and the arbitral ruling that affirmed Manila’s sovereign rights over its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and promote the Philippines to investors.

“As the first ASEAN leader’s level engagement for the year, the summit presents an opportunity to reiterate the Philippines’ national positions on regional and international issues and set the tone for ASEAN’s Dialogue Partner Summits later in the year,” Marcos said in a speech delivered at the Villamor Air Base yesterday.

The Chief Executive noted that the summit has two main engagements – Leaders’ Plenary, which is expected to tackle ways to strengthen the cooperation between ASEAN and Australia, and Leaders’ Retreat, a venue for leaders to exchange candid views on issues affecting the region and the world.