Marcos, Asean leaders to sign amity treaty at summit in Laos

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., including all leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and the foreign ministry of Luxembourg, will sign the treaty of amity and cooperation at the 44th and 45th Asean Summit in Laos, officially the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, next week.

The treaty, established in 1976, embodies universal principles of peaceful coexistence and friendly cooperation among countries in Southeast Asia.

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“The most important thing is that it commits parties to peaceful settlement of disputes under international law,” said Department of Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Daniel Espiritu in a press briefing on Friday.

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“It’s very important for Asean to cooperate with each other to make sure that even among themselves, whatever differences they may have, will be settled through peaceful means,” he added.

Marcos is set to attend the summit scheduled for October 8 to 11. Espiritu said the treaty will be signed on October 10.

Other activities of Marcos include meeting the 400-member Filipino community in Laos.