Undersecretary Lazaro Reaffirms PH Support for ASEAN, Highlights Rules-Based International Order during Senior Officials’ Meetings

Undersecretary Lazaro (2nd from left) joins fellow ASEAN Senior Officials at the ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting in Vientiane, Lao PDR (Photo: ASEAN-Lao PDR)

VIENTIANE 18 June 2024 - Undersecretary Lazaro underscored the Philippines’ continuing commitment to ASEAN’s Community building efforts, as well as support for Lao PDR’s priorities for its chairship of ASEAN in 2024, during a series of ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meetings (SOM) in Vientiane. 

"As we navigate the evolving regional security situation in the Indo-Pacific, the Philippines remains dedicated to dialogue and diplomacy, among other tools of peaceful settlement of differences and disputes under international law, as the only viable pathways towards forging consensus and fostering collective action in addressing the complex issues and challenges facing our region,” said PH SOM Leader Undersecretary Lazaro. 

During the EAS SOM, which brought together ASEAN and eight (8) of its Dialogue Partners, Undersecretary Lazaro stressed the need to safeguard the the Post-War rules-based international order under the UN system, which is under threat due to unilateral, illegal and coercive actions in regional and global flashpoints. She called for peaceful dialogue and adherence to international law in addressing the tensions in the South China Sea and the situation in the Korean Peninsula.

The same views were echoed at the 27-member ARF SOM. Amidst geopolitical tensions, particularly in the South China Sea, Undersecretary Lazaro urged the ARF to revitalize its work as the premier platform for political-security dialogue and cooperation in the Asia Pacific region, through candid and frank dynamic discussions on the region’s core security concerns.

Undersecretary Lazaro participated in Senior Officials-level meetings of ASEAN-led mechanisms, including the ASEAN Plus Three (APT), East Asia Summit (EAS), and ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), held back-to-back with the ASEAN SOM.

At the APT SOM, attended by ASEAN and China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, Undersecretary Lazaro joined calls to bolster and diversify stockpiles under the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) to ensure food security. She also called on the APT to continue supporting micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the region, as well as combating illicit drugs through the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Drug Matters (ASOD) Plus Three Meeting.

Also convened in Vientiane were other ASEAN Senior Officials-level meetings, including the Meeting of the Executive Committee of the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ EXCOM) and ASEAN Coordinating Committee Working Group (ACCWG) on Timor-Leste. The meetings discussed the implementation of the SEANWFZ Treaty and Timor-Leste’s preparations for full membership in ASEAN, respectively.

Furthermore, the ASEAN SOM likewise discussed ongoing efforts to craft ASEAN’s Post-2025 Vision, as well as ASEAN’s growing external relations.

The meetings were preparatory to the 57th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) and Related Meetings in July 2024 and 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits in October 2024. END

Undersecretary Lazaro addresses the ASEAN Regional Forum Senior Officials’ Meeting (Photo: ASEAN-Lao PDR)