Southeast Asian leaders have attended a signing ceremony in the Philippine capital Manila, as the annual ASEAN summit draws to a close. The agreement aims to strengthen the role of the civil service in ASEAN's plans for a unified economic community in 2025.
As chair of this year's event, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte gave a speech. He addressed the importance of a united ASEAN as the area faces increased strategic and geopolitical challenges.
Several regional and international issues are believed to have been touched upon during the closed door leaders' meeting. Discussions were expected to cover ongoing territorial disputes in the South China Sea and tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
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