Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
To our esteemed guest, President Yoon Suk Yeol,
Your Majesty,
Your Excellencies, good morning.
It brings hope for us to be here today at this opportune moment to assess the progress of ASEAN-ROK relations, to celebrate our shared successes, and recommit ourselves to a future of mutual growth and cooperation.
In the interest of maintaining peace and stability in the region, we express grave concern over the recent surge of intercontinental ballistic missile launches conducted by the DPRK.
We underscore the need for the DPRK to fully comply with all UN Security Council Resolutions. We also affirm our support for the principles embodied in the ROK’s audacious initiative that aims to achieve a denuclearized DPRK, an essential component for sustainable peace and prosperity in the Korean Peninsula, in Northeast Asia, and the world.
We look forward to the implementation of the Korea-ASEAN Solidarity Initiative (KASI), which will further deepen ASEAN and ROK’s collaboration on common political, economic, social, and cultural concerns.
In particular, we welcome the enhancing policy dialogue on maritime affairs with the ROK under the initiative to contribute to the overall enhancement of ASEAN-ROK comprehensive security cooperation.
We appreciate the ROK’s continued support in upholding the UNCLOS as a key pillar of the rules-based international order as the region faces unilateral attempts to change the status quo in its waters.
We share concerns on the militarization of reclaimed features; the dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia vessels; and other coercive activities. We are equally alarmed by illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing which are being detected.
We thus thank the ROK, together with Japan and the United States, for reiterating the importance of international law in maintaining stability in the Indo-Pacific during the meetings recently held in Camp David.
On marine and environmental cooperation, I would like to personally thank the Republic of Korea for your valuable assistance in addressing the recent oil spill in Mindoro this April. This is a testament to ROK’s commitment as a partner of ASEAN in responding to maritime disasters and emergencies.
We likewise thank ROK for its contributions in emergency humanitarian assistance for the damages caused by the recent typhoons and furthermore the 400 metric tons of rice already donated to the Philippines, through the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR).
On the economic front, ASEAN and ROK will continue efforts at enhancing ASEAN connectivity and supply chains to further expand mutual trade through the effective implementation of ASEAN-ROK economic cooperation projects and programs.
It is also important to underscore ASEAN’s strong partnership with the ROK on preserving biodiversity throughout the years, including the enhanced protection of migratory species and the conservation of their wetland habitats.
We thank the ROK for its consistent support for the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity, located in the Philippines, in fulfilling their vision of conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity.
We welcome ROK’s intention to elevate their relation with ASEAN to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
We are optimistic that what we have achieved together in the past decades will be quickly surpassed when relations with ROK are elevated to that of a Comprehensive Strategic Partner of ASEAN.
Such deepening relations continue to serve as a good indicator of the development and evolution of the ASEAN-ROK relation.
Thank you.
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