Your Majesty, Excellencies of the ASEAN heads of state and government, the Secretary General, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.

I open the Plenary Meeting of the 30^th ASEAN Summit. It is a great pleasure and honor to warmly welcome you all to Manila.

Guided by our chairmanship’s theme, “Partnering for Change, Engaging the World,” we gather today with the desire to move forward together. Dedicated in our work towards genuine transformation that will benefit all our people.

Unity, solidarity, and cooperation have defined ASEAN over the last five decades and these have been crucial to our collective success.

Our work, however, is far from complete. Face with greater challenge and expectations, we are full of hope that we will rise to the occasion and emerge politically and economically stronger.

Since Brunei Darussalam’s membership in the ASEAN in 1984, His Majesty the Sultan is a living witness to our collective success and has seen ASEAN’s development and the Association’s high and lows.

When His Majesty speaks, ASEAN is all ears to his advice and judgment.

Excellencies, we have a substantial program today beginning with the Plenary Session as we discuss implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and the way forward.

Can I now ask the members of the media to leave the room? 

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