MANILA, Philippines – Cyprus, Slovakia, and Slovenia are set to become high contracting parties to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC), the bloc’s core regional peace and security agreement.
In a message to DZRH, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Assistant Secretary and ASEAN Spokesperson Dominic Xavier Imperial confirmed the accession of the three countries to the TAC, with the signing slated during the Philippines’ hosting of the 49th ASEAN Summit.
“ASEAN welcomes the accession of Cyprus, Slovakia, and Slovenia to the TAC, which will be formalized during the Signing Ceremony of Acceding Countries to the TAC on 14 November 2026 in Manila, Philippines,” Imperial said.
Their accession brings the total number of High Contracting Parties to the TAC to 65, underscoring the enduring relevance and universality of the Treaty, as well as the international community’s confidence in ASEAN’s role in advancing peace, stability, and rules-based regional architecture, he added.
Last July, Sweden, Poland, Romania, and Lithuania formally acceded to the TAC, reaffirming their commitment to the principles of “peace, dialogue, mutual respect, and cooperation” that have guided the ASEAN for five decades.
Adopted in 1976, the TAC serves as ASEAN’s code of conduct, anchored on the principles of respect for sovereignty, non-interference in internal affairs, peaceful settlement of disputes, and cooperation among ASEAN member states and its external partners, according to the ASEAN website.
The bloc’s core signatories of TAC were Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines.
The signing of the instruments of accession to the TAC by Cyprus, Slovakia, and Slovenia is one of the notable events during the ASEAN Summit in Manila, which also coincides with the 50th anniversary of the TAC and the Philippines’ Chairship of ASEAN in 2026.
As part of the commemoration, the Philippines led the unveiling of the 50th Anniversary logo last February, and the main event held last 24 July 2026, on the sidelines of the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) and Related Meetings in Cebu province.
