President Rodrigo Duterte said on Saturday he was confident that the partnership and mutual aid among Southeast Asian countries would help the region overcome the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. In his message to mark the 53rd founding anniversary of the Association of SoutheastAsian Nations (Asean), President Duterte said the regional bloc’s commitment to community-building became even stronger with the challenges it was facing, particularly the pandemic. “We are confident that the Asean way of partnership and mutual aid will help us overcome the Covid-19 pandemic and move forward with our community-building endeavors,” the President said. Issues of mutual concernThe President’s message comes after Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. spoke with United States Secretary of State Michael Pompeo on Thursday to discuss issues of mutual concern. The strategic partnership between the United States and Asean contributes to our shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Pompeo said in a statement.

Source: Manila Times August 08, 2020 17:22 UTC