President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. expressed gratitude to Australia for supporting the stance of the Philippines in the South China Sea issue and for its aid to ASEAN on education, defense, health, and digital transformation.
“I welcome Australia’s active engagement in maritime-related issues and concerns in the region,” President Marcos said during his intervention at the 3rd ASEAN-Australia Summit held on Thursday in Jakarta, Indonesia where he also attended the 43rd ASEAN Summit and Related Summits.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, along with other heads of the ASEAN member countries, was also present during the Summit and also expressed high hopes for stronger ASEAN-Australia relations.
“And we, the Philippines, thank Australia for expressing concern on the latest actions directed against the Philippines in the South China Sea. We join Australia on the call for peace, stability, and respect for the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention (UNCLOS),” the President added.
He also thanked Australia for supporting the Philippines’ hosting of the 12th ASEAN Maritime Forum and the 10th Expanded Maritime Forum held in Manila last December.
Last month, President Marcos observed the 1st ALON war games in Zambales aimed at fortifying the capabilities of the Marine Amphibious Ready Unit and bolstering the country’s coastal defense capabilities with the help of its allies, particularly the US and Australia.
Exercise ALON is a dynamic initiative that stands as a testament to the Philippines’ commitment to bolstering bilateral cooperation and interoperability within the armed forces.
The President acknowledged Australia’s contribution to the Project-based Community Medical Deployment / Medical Aid Provision Initiative under the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus Experts’ Working Group on Military Medicine, a substantial and practical contribution in harmonizing much-needed regional military medical capabilities.
ASEAN’s partnership with Australia extends to many other fields beyond maritime cooperation, such as health, education, development, and digital transformation – all of which are areas that are being reinvigorated by the all-encompassing Australia for ASEAN Futures Initiative or Aus4ASEAN.
Among the Aus4ASEAN initiatives is food security, both an ASEAN and Philippine policy priority.
“We especially welcome the adoption of the ASEAN-Australia Joint Leaders’ Statement on Strengthening Cooperation on Food Security in Times of Crises as food security and nutrition during crises are a common concern shared by all ASEAN Member States,” Marcos said.
With the Philippines signing onto the Second Protocol to Amend the Agreement Establishing the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA), the President expressed optimism that this will provide fresh opportunities to improve the flow of goods, services, and investments between ASEAN and Australia.
As ASEAN’s Comprehensive Strategic Partner, Marcos expressed confidence that the bloc’s relations with Australia will deepen and further diversify to provide lasting positive gains for the present generation and beyond. PND
