MARCOS, WIDODO: MAHALAGA ANG ASEAN

Ipinahayag ni Pangulong Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. na pinag-usapan nilang dalawa ni Indonesian leader Joko Widodo ang mahalagang papel ng 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) sakaling magkaroon ng problema sa rehiyon dahil sa “geopolitical volatility.”

“We also spoke at length about the role that we believe ASEAN should play while we face the difficulties in this very volatile time in geopolitics not only in our region but also in the rest of the world,” wika ni Marcos sa kanyang joint statement kay President Widodo na isinahimpapawid mula sa Jakarta.

“We agreed that ASEAN is going to be the lead agent in the changes that we would like to see in continuing to bring peace to our countries,” dagdag ng Pangulo.

Nagsalita rin si Widodo sa wikang Bahasa Indonesia pero wala pang pagsasalin sa wikang Ingles habang sinusulat ang balitang ito.

Sabi naman ni Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles, naging produktibo ang ikalawang araw ng state visit ni Marcos sa Indonesia.

“It was very productive, extremely so because the President did not expect that the talks between him and President Widodo would progress so rapidly in such a short time,” wika ni Angeles.

Ang pag-uusap nina Marcos at Widodo ay ginanap sa Bogor Presidential Palace sa West Java. Sa nasabing miting nilagdaan ng Pilipinas ang Indonesia ang apat na kasunduan sa defense cooperation, cultural cooperation, creative economy, at ang plan of action para sa bilateral cooperation.