Philippine president to emphasise cooperation on climate change, food security at ASEAN summits

Manila: Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos said on Wednesday that regional cooperation on climate change, food security, health cooperation and economic recovery will be highlighted at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meetings in Cambodia.

He made the remarks at an airport in Manila before flying to Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital, for the meetings to be kicked off on Thursday, Xinhua news agency reported.

The 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits and related summits will be convened in Phnom Penh on November 10-13.

Marcos said he will have bilateral meetings with some ASEAN counterparts and dialogue partners on the sidelines to promote the Philippines “not only as an investment centre, not only as a tourism centre but as a partner, a global partner.”

“We will also hold summits with ASEAN’s dialogue partners … to review existing and new areas of cooperation and exchange views on the regional and international issues,” he added.

It will be the first time for Marcos, who assumed the presidency on June 30, to join other leaders from ASEAN and its partners to discuss regional security, economic and socio-cultural development, and global issues affecting the Southeast Asian region and beyond.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

–IANS