President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday vowed to advance the country’s interests in the 43rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related Summits which will be held in Indonesia from Sept. 5 to 7.

Marcos departed for Indonesia on Monday to attend the ASEAN Summit.

“Once again, I will use this opportunity to advance Philippine priorities in ASEAN and work with our other ASEAN Member States not only in addressing the complex challenges facing the region, but also in pursuing opportunities for ASEAN as an ‘epicentrum of growth,” Marcos said in his departure statement at Villamor Airbase in Pasay City.

“My participation will highlight our advocacies in promoting a rules-based international order, including in the South China Sea, strengthening food security, calling for climate justice, tapping the potential of the digital and creative economies, protecting migrant workers in crisis situations, as well as combating Trafficking-in-Persons,” he said.

The second ASEAN Summit of this year provides a strategic opportunity for the regional bloc to deepen its robust partnerships with Australia, Canada, India, China, Japan, Korea, the United States, and the United Nations, Marcos said, noting they will foster cooperation with these countries in trade and investment, climate action, food security, clean energy and maritime cooperation.

Marcos said he would participate in the ASEAN Plus Three and East Asia Summits to discuss developments in the South China Sea, the situation in Myanmar and the conflict in Ukraine, as well as on major power rivalries.

“I will also take the opportunity to meet with bilateral partners at the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit to advance cooperation that will benefit our national priorities. As a founding member, ASEAN has always been closely intertwined with Philippine foreign policy,” he said.

“My administration will continue to ensure that our constructive engagements with ASEAN, our Dialogue Partners, and stakeholders serve our national interest and the well-being of the Filipino people,” he added.

Marcos is expected to attend 13 leader’s level engagements, 12 of which are summit sessions with other leaders, according to the Foreign Affairs department.

The 43rd Summit and Related Summits with the theme “ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth” will conclude on Sept. 7, with a handover ceremony of the ASEAN Chairmanship from Indonesia to Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

Established on Aug. 8, 1967, ASEAN is a political and economic union of 10 member states in Southeast Asia composed of Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei Darussalam, Viet Nam, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Cambodia. (PNA)