US WELCOMES PHILIPPINES'S 2026 ASEAN CHAIRMANSHIP

MANILA, Oct 29 (Bernama-PNA) -- The United States (US) Mission to ASEAN has welcomed the Philippines’ 2026 chairmanship of the bloc next year, Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported.

“We now welcome the Philippines as the ASEAN Chair for 2026. (We look) forward to working together to drive growth, create opportunities, and deepen ties that benefit both America and the region” it said on Wednesday.

The Philippines President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. officially received the bloc’s 2025 chairmanship from Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim during the closing ceremony in Kuala Lumpur on Oct 28.

Marcos said the Philippines will steer ASEAN towards initiatives that would fortify peace and security anchors, strengthen prosperity corridors, and advance people empowerment.

The ASEAN, with Manila at the helm, will be launching a series of high-level meetings under the theme “Navigating Our Future, Together” in 2026.

At the 13th ASEAN-US Summit on Oct 26, Marcos recognised the US’ active and meaningful engagement with ASEAN across all three of its pillars -- political-security, economic, and socio-cultural.

In his intervention speech, he thanked Washington support in promoting peace at sea, combating transnational crime, and counter-terrorism, while acknowledging its important role in advancing economic development in the region.

“We recognise that the global economic landscape is marked by uncertainty. ASEAN values its partnership with the US and seeks to build practical, strategic, and forward-looking collaboration that delivers concrete outcomes for our businesses and citizens alike,” he said.

-- BERNAMA-PNA