MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday departed for India to attende the BRICS Summit, saying that he would raise the need to keep sea lanes “free, open and governed by law, rules, and responsible behavior.”
Marcos will represent the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as the regional bloc’s chairperson this year in the Summit that will be convened by BRICS primary members Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa and other partners countries in New Delhi over the weekend.
The Summit — where Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to attend — takes place a few days after Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro admonished China in a high-level defense forum in Seoul, calling out Beijing’s officials for slipping to him a position paper on the South China Sea in the middle of an open forum.
“Where the seas currents and trade winds of yore were sufficient to link geographies, we must now ensure that the sea lanes are just as free, open, and governed by law, rules and responsible behavior,” he said in a recorded pre-departure message.
“We thus embark to India determined with the task of translating potentian into action, and action into gains for greater economic security for the Filipino people, for ASEAN and its external partnerships, and for fostering broader cooperation among players even of different persuasions to support peace, security and shared prosperity,” he said.
Despite this, Marcos underscored that while “international and regional groupings may diverge on issues and thrusts” the international community needs to “coalesce and cohere around issues that impact us collectively.”
“I will carry ASEAN’s voice to the Summit and help amplify our communities perspectives on the issues of our times, guided by the priorities of our chairship, peace and security anchors, prosperity corridors and people empowerment,” he said in a recorded message before his departure.
“We will engage the BRICS community, whose ranks include 4 of our fellow ASEAN member states on advancing our quest for peace, inclusive growth, regional resilience, sustainable development, food and energy security, and a rules-based international order,” he said.
There will also be a call for “fairer global governance, stringer disaster preparedness and the responsible use of new technologies, climate action and the peaceful settlement of disputes under international law,” Marcos said.
“We have been asked to participate in the BRICS Summit at a time when the global economy is undergoing profound change and pressure,” he said
“I intend to highlight ASEAN’s commitment to deepen its engagement with its partners through establishing frameworks,” he said.
“I will offer view on how partners can and should work in concert, if not together, to address these challenges, especially those that affect developing countries and emerging economies,” he said.
“We will bring lessons from ASEAN’s track record and long-standing commitment to open and inclusive dialogue while preserving strategic autonomy,” he said.
BRICS countries collectively represent 49.5 percent of the world population, 26 percent of trade, and 40 percent of the GDP.
Meantime, the Filipino leader is also expected to attend a bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the Summit, which comes about a year after the two leaders first met in India for Marcos’ state visit.
“Prime MInister Modi and I will review the implementation of the 5-year plan of action 2025-2029 that underpins our strategic partnership,” he said.
“Our discussions will cover defense, maritime cooperation, trade and investment, the proposed preferential trade agreement, health and pharmaceuticals, digital cooperation, tourism, direct air connectivity and people to people ties,” he said.
“Our task is to see that these modern connections remain open, resilient and cable of delivering prosperity to our people,” he said.
Marcos said he would also invite Modi to come to Manila in November for a series of meetings during the ASEAN Summit.