MANILA -- President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. returned from his participation to the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday night, expressing confidence that the Philippines has set the “right tone” for regional discussions.
In his arrival statement on Wednesday evening, President Marcos emphasized that the Summit has provided an avenue to discuss regional and international issues related to achieving peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.
“The Summit provided an opportunity to discuss regional and international issues and how ASEAN and individual member states such as the Philippines may contribute to the peace, security, and prosperity of our immediate neighborhood: the Indo-Pacific,” he said.
“As a commemorative summit, it also provided a chance to take stock of how the ASEAN-Australia relationship has progressed in the last fifty years [and] how we may, together, move forward as we advance common values such as peace, environmental stewardship, and how mutual economic progress benefits both Australia and ASEAN,” President Marcos pointed out.
President Marcos arrived in Manila at 11:34 pm.
The ASEAN-Australia Special Summit is the first Leader-level engagement under the Chairmanship of Lao PDR, according to President Marcos.
The chief executive also reiterated his administration’s commitment to continue constructive engagements with ASEAN and Australia.
“This ASEAN-Australia Special Summit is the first Leader-level engagement under the Chairmanship of Lao PDR and I am confident that we have set the right tone for regional discussions for the year,” he said.
“My administration remains strongly committed to continuing constructive engagements with ASEAN and Australia to best serve our national interest, inasmuch as we tirelessly promote the region’s peace, security, stability, and prosperity, for the well-being of the Filipino people,” he added.
At the sidelines of the Summit, President Marcos went on with his usual external engagements to promote the Philippines’ interests.
He met with Australian business leaders and also launched the expansion of the Victoria International Container Terminal (VICT), a subsidiary of the International Container Terminal Services Incorporated (ICTSI) located in the Philippines.
He also mentioned that Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040 where four (4) key sectors were identified as investment priorities in the Philippines, namely agriculture and food, education and skills, resources, and green transition.
While in Melbourne, the President was able to secure business agreements amounting to US$1.53 billion or P86 billion. “We secured 12 business agreements in the total sum of US$ 1.53 billion worth of investments covering diverse sectors such as renewable energy, clean technology, and recycling solutions, housing, IT-BPM, infrastructure, medical devices, and digital health services,” President Marcos said.
“We received strong commitments from some Australian companies in support of our renewable energy and digitalization initiatives. Their strong interest is an indication that we are on the right track to position ourselves as a hub for smart and sustainably-driven manufacturing and services,” he said.
President Marcos also had a meeting with the Prime Ministers of New Zealand and Cambodia, where the leaders exchanged views on matters affecting their respective countries and the region.
The President likewise did not pass the opportunity to meet the Filipino Community in Melbourne, thanking them for their contributions to both the Philippines and Australia. (PND)
