Prabowo at ASEAN Summit: We Must Not Be Swept Away by the Current of Competition
President Prabowo Subianto stated that conflicts and geopolitical rivalries would only bring negative impacts to society and hinder regional development. Therefore, Prabowo said, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) must prioritise dialogue and cooperation as the main foundation of inter-state relations.
Prabowo conveyed this during the plenary session of the 48th ASEAN Summit held at Mactan Expo, Cebu, Philippines. “We must not allow competition to prevail. We must not let our past determine our present and future. Indonesia is determined to build good neighbourly policies,” he said in Cebu, Philippines, on Friday, 8 May 2026, quoted from the Presidential Secretariat’s statement.
The Head of State also reminded that Southeast Asian countries must maintain their independence and not be influenced by global geopolitical rivalries that could fracture regional unity. “Once again, we must not be carried away or influenced by the current flow of geopolitical competition and ego,” said the former Minister of Defence in the Joko Widodo era.
Furthermore, the President invited all ASEAN countries to strengthen the culture of peace and regional cooperation. According to him, ASEAN needs to become an example of a stable, harmonious region that upholds world peace.
“In the midst of deepening divisions, ASEAN’s culture of peace must not only be preserved but also advanced to become a global example. ASEAN must truly become a zone of peace,” Prabowo stated.
Prior to this plenary session, Prabowo attended the opening ceremony of the 48th ASEAN Summit. Prabowo arrived at Mactan Expo around 09:04 local time (LT) and proceeded directly to the foyer.
Upon arrival at the venue, Prabowo was welcomed by Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Romualdez Marcos Jr and his wife, Marie Louise Cacho Araneta Marcos. President Prabowo then headed to Halls 2 and 3 to participate in the opening ceremony agenda with other Southeast Asian leaders.
In his opening speech, President Marcos Jr emphasised the importance of ASEAN countries’ joint commitment to maintaining dialogue, cooperation, and mutual respect amid increasingly complex global dynamics. Bongbong said that the presence of Southeast Asian leaders at this conference reflects the region’s collective spirit.
Additionally, he affirmed that the challenges facing the region today must become a momentum to strengthen unity and enhance cooperation among ASEAN countries. “If there is one lesson that ASEAN has learned over the decades, it is that difficult times do not divide us,” Bongbong stated in his speech.