(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte has urged members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations not to sacrifice the environment in the pursuit of progress.
The President made the appeal at the 35th ASEAN Summit, the Palace said in a statement on Saturday, Nov. 2.
“ASEAN should not sacrifice the environment and the region’s rich biodiversity, particularly in the maritime domain, in its quest for progress,” Duterte said, based on the statement.
He said the ASEAN should “ensure environmental sustainability and protect biodiversity” in the region’s pursuit of development instead.
“We must work together to address the problem of marine debris,” he said.
The President is on a four-day visit to Thailand.
