President Marcos is set to depart for Melbourne, Australia today to participate in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Australia Special Summit. The summit, taking place from March 4 to 6, commemorates the 50th year since Australia became ASEAN’s first dialogue partner.
This comes after Marcos’ recent two-day state visit to Canberra, where he addressed the Australian parliament. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who greeted Marcos at the Parliament House, expressed excitement for the upcoming summit.
During the summit, Marcos is expected to express gratitude to Australia for its support of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration. These actions reaffirmed the Philippines’ maritime entitlements and invalidated China’s extensive claim in the South China Sea.
Assistant Secretary for ASEAN Affairs Daniel Espiritu mentioned that Marcos will also highlight ASEAN-Australia cooperation in various areas such as maritime issues, climate change, clean energy initiatives, and people-to-people exchanges during the leaders’ plenary.
Additionally, the President has bilateral meetings scheduled with leaders from Cambodia and New Zealand. He will also engage with the Filipino community and business leaders in Melbourne. This visit aims to strengthen diplomatic ties and promote regional cooperation.
