Prabowo Speaks at ASEAN Summit Plenary Session: ASEAN Must Be United
President Prabowo Subianto stated that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) must become an anchor of regional stability amid increasing global geopolitical dynamics. According to the Head of State, this can be achieved through strengthening solidarity and cooperation among countries.
Prabowo delivered these remarks while attending the plenary session of the 48th ASEAN Summit held at Mactan Expo, Cebu, Philippines. “We must set an example; we must truly commit to having a solid ASEAN that maintains peace, stability, respects dialogue, and collaboration,” Prabowo said on Friday, 8 May 2026, as quoted from the Presidential Secretariat’s statement.
Prabowo assessed that geopolitical conflicts and rivalries would only bring negative impacts to societies and hinder regional development. Therefore, the Chairman of the Gerindra Party emphasised that ASEAN must continue to prioritise dialogue and cooperation as the main foundation of inter-state relations.
“We must not allow competition. We must not let our past determine our present and future. Indonesia is determined to build good neighbourly policies,” Prabowo stated.
The President also reminded Southeast Asian countries to maintain independence and not be influenced by global geopolitical rivalries that could divide regional unity.
“Once again, we must not be carried away and must not be influenced by the current currents 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. “Amid 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 said.
Prior to this plenary session, Prabowo Subianto attended the opening ceremony of the 48th ASEAN Summit. Prabowo arrived at Mactan Expo around 09:04 local time 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, along with other Southeast Asian leaders, then headed to Halls 2 and 3 to participate in the opening ceremony agenda.
In his opening remarks, President Marcos Jr. emphasised the importance of ASEAN countries’ collective commitment to maintaining dialogue, cooperation, and mutual respect amid increasingly complex global dynamics. Bongbong stated 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 said in his remarks.