“To my friend, good luck!” - Anwar hands over ASEAN Chair to Marcos

"To my friend, BongBong, good luck," said Anwar during the closing and handover ceremony of the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits here today.

"I have every confidence that under your steady hand, ASEAN will continue to act with clarity, composure, and that warmth and poise for which the Filipino people are known."

Marcos congratulated Anwar for his successful stewardship of ASEAN and for advancing the bloc’s broader agenda under the theme of "Inclusivity and Sustainability".

"We are committed to carrying forward your momentum and to implementing, in its first year, the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 with purpose and resolve,” he said.

Marcos also reaffirmed the Philippines’ commitment to facilitating the full integration of Timor-Leste into the ASEAN family.

He pledged to continue fortifying ASEAN's peace and security agenda, strengthen prosperity corridors and advance people empowerment.

"With the Philippines at the helm, we will ensure that ASEAN and ASEAN-led mechanisms remain central,” he added.

The Summits, held from October 26 to 28 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, marked the culmination of Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship for 2025.

It notably witnessed the formal admission of Timor-Leste as ASEAN’s 11th member state, as well as the signing of the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords between Thailand and Cambodia, ending border tensions that escalated earlier this year.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who attended the opening day of the summit, secured a reciprocal trade deal with Malaysia-maintaining a 19% tariff rate.

Similar agreements were also reached with Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand.

Meanwhile, China and ASEAN announced an upgrade of their free trade agreement on the sidelines of the summit, in a ceremony witnessed by Anwar and Chinese Premier Li Qiang.

The Philippines will assume the next ASEAN Chairmanship on January 1, 2026, under the theme “Navigating Our Future Together.”