(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte is flying to Singapore today, Monday, Nov. 12, to attend the 33rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit which will start on November 13 until Nov. 15, where key issues will be touched including the South China Sea territorial dispute, countering terrorism, and illegal drug trafficking.
Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary and Director General of ASEAN-Philippine National Secretariat Junever Mahilum-West said the President was invited by Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and will have a ““very busy schedule” once there.
“Key issues will also be touched like the Korean Peninsula, the South China Sea, global economy, and challenges to economic integration,” said a Malacanang release.
“Non-traditional issues like countering terrorism, violent extremism, combatting illicit drugs, trafficking in persons, disaster management, women and youth development, climate change, people-to-people exchanges, and the rights of migrant workers will be the areas of concern for the Philippines,” it said.
Mahilum, in the pre-departure briefing, said that apart from the ASEAN Summit, the international leaders will have summits with dialogue partners from Australia, China, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, Russia, and the United States in ‘Plus One Summit’ format.
“We would expect an outcome document on the rights of migrant workers as well which has been shepherded by the Philippines since the beginning,” said Asec. Mahilum-West.
The ASEAN leaders will also have discussions with China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea through ‘ASEAN Plus Three Summit.’ Furthermore, ‘East Asia Summit’ is also scheduled and there will be exchanges among leaders of Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russia, and the United States.
The leaders will also hold the second summit on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) to look into the progress in the negotiations of this document, said Mahilum.
Mahilum said that President Duterte will participate in issues where the Philippines has interests such as infrastructure development due to the Build, Build, Build Program, small and medium enterprises, economic integration, cooperation, community, and connectivity.
The ASEAN Summit is very important, the DFA official said, as this will be an opportunity for leaders to see the progress of the implementation of the ASEAN Community blueprints and the work in moving community building forward as well as bringing ASEAN closer to the realization of a rules-based, people-oriented, and people-centered ASEAN Community.
On the other hand, the related summits will be an opportunity for President Duterte and other ASEAN leaders to “look into the progress of ASEAN’s relations with the dialogue partners and the deepening cooperation with them on a number of priority areas,” said the envoy.
Regarding bilateral meetings with other leaders that President Duterte might be having in Singapore, the envoy noted that “arrangements are still being made, but there are roughly four to five meetings lining up.”
In the same event, Singapore will symbolically hand over the chairmanship to Thailand for the ASEAN Summit 2019
(with a PND release)
