MANILA, 28 April 2017 – President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines will play host to fellow Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) when they gather in Manila on 29 April for the 30th ASEAN Summit. This is the first of two ASEAN Summits in this milestone year as ASEAN celebrates its 50th anniversary. President Duterte will preside over the opening ceremony tomorrow at the Philippine International Convention Center and the Leaders’ Retreat at the Coconut Palace.
During the Summit, the Leaders would be discussing the implementation of ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and the way forward, external relations and future directions. They will also exchange views on regional and international issues. They are expected to sign the ASEAN Declaration on the Roles of the Civil Service as a Catalyst for Achieving the ASEAN Community Vision 2025.
Further, the Leaders will be meeting with the representatives of ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly and ASEAN youth. The 12th Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Summit and 10th Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) Summit will also be held in this occasion.
For its ASEAN chairmanship, the Philippines has adopted the theme “Partnering for Change, Engaging the World” to illustrate its vision of an ASEAN Community that is dynamic, vibrant and prosperous for all – acting in unity within and with its global partners.
“Five decades of cooperation and integration have made ASEAN one of the most successful regional organisations in the world. ASEAN works together – cognisant of, and leveraging on, its diversity and collective potentials – to pursue a shared vision and common aspirations. This represents ASEAN’s unique strength,” said Le Luong Minh, Secretary-General of ASEAN, about his perspective on the core achievement of ASEAN.
ASEAN was established in Bangkok, Thailand on 8 August 1967 when the five founding members – Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand – signed the ASEAN Declaration. Since then, ASEAN has expanded its membership with the inclusion of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Viet Nam. The ten Member States established the ASEAN Community in December 2015 with a goal of bringing more opportunities and benefits to the peoples in the region. The ASEAN Summit is ASEAN’s highest policy-making body.
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