00:00ASEAN's centrality must be our North Star, as reflected by the continuous strengthening and innovation of ASEAN-led institutions.
00:13We must remain the region's primary anchor for dialogue, in as much as our dialogue partners must continue to find value in engaging with us.
00:23Now, this meeting takes place amid the unravelling of assumptions where power unsettles principle and calm can no longer be taken for granted.
00:34The global orders fraying, conflict, coercion, mistrust now define too many relationships.
00:42And countless lives are being lost or overturned in their wake.
00:47In Gaza and Palestine, we witness the unrelenting suffering of an entire people, denied dignity and justice across generations.
00:59In Ukraine, war grinds on.
01:02Across parts of Africa, violence continues to displace and devastate.
01:07And in Myanmar, regrettably, peace remains elusive, even as suffering deepens.
01:17We are also deeply troubled by mounting tensions in the Middle East, with the actions of one state against its neighbors threatened to spark a wider regional conflagration.
01:29The risks are profound for energy security, global stability, and the integration of international law.
01:39The multilateral system cannot endure if its principles are upheld only when convenient.
01:46ASEAN must be among those who choose to stand for rules, even when others choose to retreat.
01:54Realism and values are not opposing forces.
01:59We need both to guide our choices and to defend what matters.
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