Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Their Excellencies of the Plus Three Countries, a warm welcome to ASEAN; my fellow leaders in ASEAN, good morning.
The ASEAN Plus Three cooperation has stood the test of time amidst the shifting sands of various national, regional, and global challenges these past 25 years. It is no small part played by the partnership between ASEAN and Plus Three countries that has given us the resilience to survive some of the greatest shocks and crises that has come our way.
Time has also tested, however, the principle of ASEAN centrality that we have all pledged to abide by, as we address common concerns and continue to set goals for the envisioned East Asian Community.
Significant progress has been achieved under the APT Cooperation Work Plan 2018-2022 and the Philippines always looks forward to the effective completion and implementation of pending projects and activities before the year ends.
The Philippines remains prepared to collaborate with our ASEAN Plus Three partners on the new Work Plan 2023-2027, which will guide us over the next five years, as we tackle substantive priority areas, including public health, food security, financial cooperation, and the digital economy towards a post COVID-19 economic recovery.
However, in order to achieve said recovery, the Philippines believes that we must continue to foster an environment of peace and stability globally, but also certainly in our region. Inasmuch as our region is primarily maritime in character and concerns, we must put a premium in strengthening the multi-faceted nature of our maritime cooperation.
Let us continue to work with our APT partners through activities such as safety and freedom of navigation, with the end view of promoting peace, stability, security, and prosperity in accordance with the relevant international and regional treaties and agreements including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
We also need to improve connectivity, given our common maritime attributes; to do what’s needed to hasten the implementation of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025. Towards this end, the Philippines will continue to work towards expanding our partnerships within the APT in the digital domain.
Moreover, attaining food self-sufficiency and security by seeking innovative solutions through adoption of new technologies and enhanced connectivity to national, regional, and global value supply chains. This must be one of our utmost priorities for the region. The Philippines reaffirms our commitment to actively engage in the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve or APTERR. APTERR is extremely beneficial to our countries. We are vulnerable to many hazards and natural calamities due to topography and geographic location. To enhance the security in this area, the Philippines supports any move to consider diversifying APTERR by adding other commodities and staple foods to the reserve. We also recommend that we explore smart agriculture and conduct capacity building programs for ASEAN member states as well as to continue organizing forums that serve as platforms to discuss regional concerns on agriculture and food security.
Prevailing tensions in the area stand to impact regional peace and stability. As we are bound by shared aspirations, so too are we bound by shared responsibilities.
The Philippines would like to touch on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s repeated missile tests that place the stability of our region and our peoples at risk. The Philippines calls on the DPRK to comply with its obligations under the UN Security Council Resolutions and to commit to the process of constructive and peaceful.
