PHOTO: Office of the Press Secretary’s Facebook
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has called for the continuation of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and the United States’ cooperation in addressing maritime security and transnational crime.
“Let us continue our cooperation in fighting against illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing and also in combating marine plastic debris and marine pollution,” Marcos said in his intervention during the 10th Asean-US Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Saturday.
This as Marcos denoted that the Asean welcomes the United Sates’ active advocacy and concrete projects in support of efforts to combat transnational crime, terrorism and trafficking in persons.
He also asked for the continuation of engagement and capacity-building programs for law enforcement agencies and personnel through the International Law Enforcement Academy and the Senior Officials’ Meeting on Transnational Crime + US (SOMTC + US).
Meanwhile, Marcos reaffirmed the Philippines’ full commitment to attain regional peace and security.
“We regard as of primary import Quad’s assurance of unwavering support for Asean unity and Centrality with the view that such minilateral mechanisms should complement the Asean-centered regional security architecture,” Marcos said.
Quad, or the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, is a strategic security dialog between Australia, India, Japan and the United States.
He then explained that the establishment of the Asean-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership on Saturday, “is a strengthening of our relationship and will serve as an additional anchor to our regional architecture and to the current international order that is presently volatile and constantly in flux.”
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