MANILA, Philippines- Lumipad na si Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. patungong Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, araw ng Linggo para dumalo sa 46th ASEAN Summit, kung saan inaasahan na gagawa ang regional leaders ng kolektibong tugon sa bagong tariff measures ng Estados Unidos.
Bago pa sumakay sa eroplano sa Villamor Air Base sa Pasay City, isiniwalat ni Pangulong Marcos na nagsimula na ang informal consultations sa hanay ng ASEAN leaders, hudyat ng paglipat sa economic posture ng bloc sa gitna ng tumataas na global trade tensions.
“I will add to that list of issues the discussions which we will continue, as we have already had preliminary discussions with the Chair of ASEAN, Malaysia, specifically PM Anwar on the proper response of ASEAN as a group towards the new tariff schedule being imposed by the United States,” ang sinabi ni Pangulong Marcos.
“We have already made informal consultations with our fellow member states and their representatives with the Chairman, PM Anwar, on this subject. It is something that we have to discuss, and it is something that we have to respond to,” dagdag na wika nito.
Habang ang ASEAN ay nananatiling magkakaibang grupo na may iba’t ibang ‘trade dependencies’, tiniyak naman ni Pangulong Marcos ang pangangailangan na bumuo ng consensus.
“We must find a way to reach consensus among the disparate situations the different member states are operating under,” aniya pa rin.
Ang hindi inaasahang anggulo ng kalakalan ay makadaragdag ng bagong pangangailangan ng madaliang pagkilos sa high-level meetings, na sinasabing “initially framed around the summit’s core theme: Inclusivity and Sustainability.”
Bukdo sa kalakalan, sinabi ni Pangulong Marcos na ipagpapatuloy ng Pilipinas na mapagtagumpayan ang central role ng ASEAN sa pagtugon sa regional challenges, kabilang na ang tensyon sa South China Sea, Myanmar crisis, at ang pamamahala ng umuusbong na teknolohiya gaya ng ‘artificial intelligence.’
Binigyang-diin nito ang kahalagahan ng pag-develop ng isang regional framework para sa ethical at responsableng AI, batay sa ibinahaging ASEAN values.
“At this Summit, I will join fellow ASEAN Leaders in reaffirming our commitment to ASEAN Centrality as we navigate pressing regional and global challenges, including developments in the South China Sea, the situation in Myanmar, threats to regional peace and maritime security, as well as the far-reaching impacts of climate change, economic volatility, and digital disruption,” ang winika ng Pangulo.
“I will also highlight the Philippines’ commitment to the development of a common regional framework for ethical and responsible Artificial Intelligence aligned with ASEAN values,” aniya pa rin.
Samantala, ayon sa Department of Foreign Affairs, dadalo si Pangulong Marcos sa Plenary and Retreat sessions ng summit, makikipagpulong sa ASEAN parliamentarians, kabataan, at business leaders, at sasaksihan ang paglagda sa Kuala Lumpur Declaration on ASEAN 2045.
Tatayo ring chairman ang Pangulo sa 16th Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Summit at makikiisa sa ASEAN-GCC and ASEAN-GCC-China Summits.
Posible rin na magkakaroon ang Pangulo ng bilateral meetings kasama ang mga lider ng Laos, Kuwait at Vietnam.
Samantala, habang wala ang Pangulo, si Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin ang mamumuno sa caretaker committee, kasama sina Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla at Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrad Estrella III. Kris Jose
