ASEAN 2023

Marcos to hold bilateral talks with Vietnam, Laos, Timor Leste

LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia — President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. will take part in bilateral meetings with the heads of Vietnam, Lao People's Democratic Republic, and Timor Leste at the sidelines of the 42nd ASEAN Summit.

The heads of state are Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Lao's Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, and Timor Leste's Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak.

"So far ‘yun na, ‘yun pa lang ang naka-schedule kasi kung titingnan niyo ‘yung schedule medyo masikip talaga. So titingnan namin kasi ‘yung Timor-Leste is the first time na nandito sila sa ASEAN as observer status which is a step towards becoming a member. So ‘yun ang—kaya kailangan makilala natin," Marcos said on Tuesday.

"The Vietnamese Prime Minister bago. Hindi namin nakilala sa nakaraang mga ASEAN. Lao Prime Minister the same situation bago so I’d like…  Although, the Vietnamese Prime—the Vietnamese Prime Mi—nakilala ko sa London. Now that I mentioned it, oo nakilala ko sa London. But never mind para we’ll go through the formalities," he added.

Marcos said the agenda of this year's Summit is "to revitalize the economy." He said other nations have been looking at the countries in Asia because they are "adjusting better" than other areas in the West.

"You know we’ve seen sa EU, we’ve seen sa ibang lugar that the global economies are also turning towards Asia. And the reason is that perhaps we are adjusting better than the Western countries. The African countries, the Middle Eastern countries are also doing well," said the President.

"But tinitingnan din ang Southeast Asia and ASEAN and that’s what our subject matter will be is that how do we play the part that we want to play which is going to be the global—locomotive of the global economy," he added.

The Summit’s opening ceremony will be held on May 10, which will be followed by a plenary session and a series of interfaces among ASEAN leaders and delegates.

The ASEAN leaders are expected to begin discussions on a number of important issues to encourage a stronger region amid facing challenges.

They will also tackle strengthening ASEAN’s economic resilience. — BM, GMA Integrated News