Kuala Lumpur (ANTARA) - The Philippines received the ASEAN chairmanship for 2026 from Malaysia at the closing ceremony of the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim formally handed over the chairmanship to Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
"It is an honor for me to host the ceremony to hand over the ASEAN chairmanship to the Philippines," Anwar said at the summit's closing event.
He also thanked ASEAN partners for their cooperation, stressing that even small steps contribute to the region’s collective pursuit of peace, stability, and justice.
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"Without their steadfast support, purpose will have spoken loudly but achieved little," he added.
Anwar highlighted that ASEAN will start a new chapter under the Philippines' leadership on January 1, 2026.
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Marcos Jr. congratulated Malaysia on a successful tenure under Anwar Ibrahim and expressed the Philippines' readiness to lead ASEAN.
"ASEAN is our ship and 2026 will be the year when we set full sail together toward our shared horizon," he said.