President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday assured the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) of the Philippines’ commitment in maintaining peace and security in the region. AdvertisementsIn a speech during the Asean High Level Forum attended by senior government officials of Asean nations and former Thailand Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, Duterte underscored the importance of a vibrant and active engagement among Asean nations for the regional bloc to be a global player. “For the Asean Leaders’ Summit in November, we intend to reaffirm our commitment in maintaining regional peace and stability, pursuing maritime security, coping with advanced and inclusive innovation and promoting Asean as a global player,” Duterte said. “We also continue to address security concerns in non-traditional ways such as the Asean Regional Forum, the East Asia Summit, the Asean Defense Ministers Meeting which counts for active engagement with our dialogue partners,” he added. “Many thought Asean was an experiment bound to fail, but 50 years after, Asean has been successful, serving as a fulcrum that brought stability and security in the region and shaped relationships among major players in the Asean and the Asia Pacific Region.

Source: Manila Times October 19, 2017 17:03 UTC