Marcos attends 46th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur

President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. will attend the 46th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Kuala Lumpur next week to reaffirm the Philippines' commitment to protecting sovereignty and accelerating talks on a binding Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea.

During the summit, Marcos will emphasize Philippine sovereignty and sovereign rights as per international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 arbitral award, while also advocating for deepening security and stability, economic cooperation, and engagement with dialogue partners in ASEAN.

Discussions will cover global issues such as Myanmar's situation and U.S. tariff policies, along with other geopolitical concerns.

Marcos is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with Laos, Vietnam, and Kuwait during the summit, focusing on enhancing bilateral and multilateral engagement with the US amidst concerns over unilateral tariffs.

The summit will also address ASEAN's unified response to recent US tariffs, emphasizing a non-retaliatory approach focused on dialogue and mutual benefit for all member states.