President Marcos will join his fellow Asian leaders in Vientiane, Laos next week for the 44th and 45th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related Summits where he is expected to "champion" the Philippines' interests.

In a pre-departure briefing in Malacañan on Friday, Oct. 4, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Assistant Secretary Daniel Espiritu of the Office of ASEAN Affairs said Marcos will participate in 16 leaders-led engagements from Oct. 9 to 11.

He said President Marcos will continue to promote and uphold Philippine interests in ASEAN during these engagements.

"We will highlight our advocacies in connectivity and resilience, especially in strengthening the digital economy, supporting MSMEs (micro, small, and medium enterprises), the promotion of renewable energy development, and addressing the impacts of climate change, among others," Espiritu said.

"The President will continue to defend the Philippine sovereignty and sovereign rights and jurisdiction in accordance with international law," he added.

Meetings

On Oct. 8, President Marcos will meet with the members of the Filipino community in Laos. According to Espiritu, around 400 Filipinos have signed up to attend the event.

On the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit, President Marcos might engage the leaders of Canada, New Zealand, Vietnam, and Japan, in separate bilateral meetings. He is expected to discuss with them issues of mutual concern and trade and investment cooperation.

Marcos will also attend business meetings, including a meeting with different business leaders, including Tiktok executives.

"This will be an excellent opportunity to promote cooperation in ASEAN and for us to get markets for trade and investments in the Philippines," Espiritu said.

"The President is also expected to meet with the TikTok regional director of Southeast Asia. He will meet with TikTok creators and sellers," he added.

Meanwhile, President Marcos is set to join the Second Asia Zero Emission Community Leaders' Meeting, a sideline event of the Summit, which tackles the decarbonization of ASEAN economies. This meeting is a follow-up to the conference in Tokyo, Japan in December 2023.

Important topics

Among the issues to be discussed are the issues on Myanmar, Ukraine, the Korean Peninsula, Gaza, and other geopolitical challenges affecting the Indo-Pacific Region. According to Espiritu, the Gaza conflict is one of the "important topics" the leaders will discuss next week. A joint statement on the issue is under negotiation.

President Marcos will likewise discuss the issue, specifically the recent developments in the West Philippine Sea.

"The President always champions that issue in all of the summits from the very start," Espiritu said.

According to Espiritu, another issue that the leaders will discuss is human trafficking which he said is a common concern within ASEAN. He said this will be reflected in many of the 82 outcome documents expected from this Summit.

"We push for all issues within the inter gamut of political security, economic, and sociocultural cooperation including climate action and biodiversity management," he said.

ASEAN engagements

On Oct. 9, the President will join the Summit's opening ceremony, followed by the 44th ASEAN Summit Plenary Session. He will also attend the 45th ASEAN Summit Retreat Session where leaders will discuss regional and international issues.

"The Summit is a platform for the leaders to exchange views on key regional and international issues, build consensus on matters of common concern, and provide policy directions for the ASEAN community for the years to come," he said.

Marcos will likewise join three interfaces with ASEAN sectoral bodies: the Interparliamentary Assembly (IPA), the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ABAC), and the ASEAN Youth.

On Oct. 10, President Marcos will attend several ASEAN+1 summits including the 27th ASEAN-China Summit, the ASEAN-Republic of Korea Summit, the ASEAN-Japan Summit, and the ASEAN+3 Summit.

Scheduled on the same day are the ASEAN-Australia Summit, the ASEAN-India Summit, and the ASEAN-Canada Special Summit which will focus on enhancing connectivity and resilience in ASEAN.

Before attending the Gala Dinner that Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone will host for the leaders, the President will witness the signing by the Foreign Minister of Luxembourg of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) in ASEAN. Luxembourg is the last country to accede to the TAC, a principal agreement in ASEAN that promotes the principle of peaceful settlement of disputes per international law.

On the last day of the Summit on Oct. 11, Marcos will join the ASEAN-US Summit and the East Asia Summit, which will be attended by the 10 ASEAN states and Timor Leste as an observer, and eight external partners—most they met on the previous day.

Also on the same day are the ASEAN-UN Summit and the ceremonial handover of the ASEAN chairmanship from Laos to Malaysia.

Meanwhile, Espiritu said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will represent US President Joseph Biden at the Summit while Chinese President Xi Jinping will be represented by Premier Li Qiang.