Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte accepts ASEAN chairmanship
On Thursday afternoon, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte accepted the chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in 2017.
ASEAN 50. The new logo for the ASEAN Summit in 2017. (Photo grabbed from gmanetwork.com)
According to an article published by CNN Philippines, in his acceptance speech during the closing ceremony of the ASEAN summit, Duterte said that he will highlight ASEAN as a model of regionalism and a global player with an interest of the people at its core. “We will pursue initiative and enhance cooperation with global partners to ensure ASEAN citizens live in peace, stability, security and growth,” he added.
In the said ceremony, Duterte also unveiled the theme “Partnering for Change, Engaging the World” for the 2017 ASEAN Summit in Manila. He said that this “captures our resolve to consolidate our community for our peoples with the sense of togetherness and common identity, ready and able to take our rightful place in the global community of nations.”
The ASEAN Summit 2017 will be celebrating its 50th anniversary, which marks a historical milestone for the Philippines.
Source: CNN Philippines, GMA Network, Manila Bulletin
Photo thumbnail by KING RODRIGUEZ/PPD