Southeast Asian lawmakers must agree on a common message that brings the concerns of their constituents to ASEAN leaders and strengthens cooperation between the region’s governments and their parliaments, House Speaker Faustino Dy III stressed on Saturday, Nov. 14, as he opened the 15th ASEAN–AIPA Leaders’ Interface parliamentary preparatory meeting.
The Speaker, who currently serves as ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) President, linked the Philippine ASEAN chairship theme, “Navigating Our Future Together,” with the thrust of the 47th AIPA General Assembly, “Parliaments Securing a Peaceful, Prosperous and People-centered ASEAN” as he emphasized that parliamentary engagement could help turn ASEAN’s shared goals into tangible progress for communities across Southeast Asia.
The preparatory meeting brought together parliamentary delegations to review the draft AIPA Message and seek consensus on issues of common concern before presenting it to ASEAN leaders.
