By Brian Campued
Following bilateral meetings with the leaders of Cambodia, Thailand, Canada, European Union, and Japan on the sidelines of his participation at the 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related Summits in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. discussed the strengthening of various areas of cooperation with Vietnam as well as the United Nations.
In their meeting on Monday, Marcos Jr. and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh conveyed their commitment to expanding economic diplomacy and enhancing their bilateral strategic partnership.
“I am pleased to have met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on the margins of the 47th ASEAN Summit. We discussed key areas of cooperation to further advance PH-Viet Nam Strategic Partnership such as in agriculture, maritime sector, security and defense, and economic development,” Marcos said in a Facebook post.
He also thanked Vietnam for its continued assistance to the Philippines during periods of drought and rice supply challenges.
In a separate meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday, Marcos Jr. reaffirmed the Philippines’ commitment to maintaining peace and stability, economic growth, social development and equality.
“I conveyed that the Philippines will continue to be a champion of climate action and a reliable partner of the United Nations,” the President said. “We both looked forward to fostering bilateral cooperation and UN’s continued support to ASEAN and the ASEAN-UN framework.”
PBBM at the ASEAN-UN Summit
During the 15th ASEAN-UN Summit on Monday, President Marcos renewed the Philippines’ bid for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council, underscoring his support for peacebuilding and development efforts.
“As a trusted partner, pathfinder, and committed peacemaker, the Philippines thanks our ASEAN colleagues for their steadfast endorsement of our bid for a non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council for 2027 to 2028,” he said.
“If elected, the Philippines will continue to uphold the primacy of the rule of law and the peaceful settlement of disputes in the maintenance of international peace and security.”
He also pushed for enhanced coordination across ASEAN and UN bodies in advancing inclusive and sustainable progress and pushed for a development agenda “that leaves no one behind.”
The President said collaborative efforts such as on digital public infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and green technologies “will help transform sustainable development from a shared aspiration into a lived reality for all people.”
“For the true measure of our partnership lies not only in words, but in the progress we secure for our peoples,” he emphasized.
Marcos Jr. said the Philippines’ ratification of the Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) solidified the Philippines’ commitment to uphold the rules-based order governed by international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
“The agreement is especially important as the Philippines is adjacent to wide swathes of high seas in the Pacific and pockets of high seas in the South China Sea, as confirmed by the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award,” he said. “On this note, we will seek to apply the Agreement to the pockets of the high seas in the South China Sea.”
He also added that the Philippines remains committed to advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals and called on ASEAN to “fully harness its partnerships with the UN to accelerate meaningful progress.”
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