PBBM to highlight PH sovereignty, push for South China Sea code of conduct at ASEAN Summit

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. will attend the 46th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, hosted by Malaysia with the theme "Inclusivity and Sustainability."

He will emphasize the Philippines' sovereignty and sovereign rights, anchoring its position on international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS and the 2016 arbitral award.

A key point of emphasis will be accelerating talks on a binding Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea.

The President will advocate for Philippine interests in the region, focusing on enhancing security, stability, economic cooperation, and expanding engagement with dialogue partners.

Marcos will attend nine leaders'-level engagements, including the ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit and the ASEAN-GCC-China Summit.

He is also scheduled for bilateral meetings with leaders from Lao PDR, Kuwait, and Vietnam.

The summit agenda includes discussions on global issues like the situation in Myanmar and US tariff policies.

The summit is expected to adopt documents related to ASEAN's three pillars: peace and security, maritime cooperation, and economic cooperation.