By Brian Campued
On the sidelines of the 48th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Cebu, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. also took the opportunity to sit down with fellow leaders to discuss a broad range of issues, including the deepening of the Philippines’ longstanding partnerships with like-minded countries.
On Saturday, following the conclusion of the summit, Marcos Jr. met with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to reaffirm their resolve to further strengthen cooperation between Manila and Bangkok in areas such as trade, energy, agriculture, tourism, people-to-people ties, and combating transnational crimes.
“I had a productive meeting with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on the sidelines of the 48th ASEAN Summit,” President Marcos Jr. said in a social media post.
He also hailed the “positive outcome” of the trilateral meeting hosted by the Philippines as ASEAN chair on peacefully addressing land and maritime border disputes between Thailand and Cambodia, in line with ASEAN’s commitment to solidarity, regional peace, and stability.
“Dialogue and cooperation remain the best path toward peace, stability, and prosperity in our region,” he said.
Similar to Thailand, Laos also agreed to boost collaboration with the Philippines in addressing transnational crimes as well as in several key areas of bilateral interest.
The commitment was made during President Marcos Jr.’s meeting with Lao PDR Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone in Cebu on Friday.
“As our countries mark more than seven decades of diplomatic relations, we discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in trade, energy security, digital transformation, combating transnational crime, and development initiatives that will create more opportunities for both our peoples,” Marcos Jr. said.
The two leaders also exchanged views on regional developments, including the Philippines’ chairship of ASEAN 2026 and the ongoing situation in the Middle East.
According to the Presidential Communications Office, the meeting reaffirmed Manila and Vientiane’s commitment to “fostering stronger collaboration and shared growth within ASEAN.”
The Philippines established diplomatic relations with Thailand on June 14, 1949 and with Laos on Jan. 14, 1955.
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