(Eagle News) – President Rodrigo Duterte decided to stay on at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders meeting in Papua New Guinea on Sunday, Nov. 18, where he and other APEC leaders convened for the last round of sessions before the important summit wraps up today.
Duterte also posed together with his fellow APEC leaders for a second family photo on Sunday morning at the APEC Haus in Port Moresby. He stood beside Russia’s Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, and behind Chinese President Xi Jinping.
He was also among those who convened for an Informal Dialogue on the State of the Regional and Global Economy with International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde also at the APEC Haus in Port Moresby.
Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, in his opening remarks during the informal dialogue on Sunday, said that he was grateful for the visit of the various leaders attending the APEC Summit.
He also said that by attending the last few sessions, the APEC leaders will be able to thresh out more important issues affecting the region.
“It’s a great opportunity for us to discuss a range of issues that have been already been put forward and discussed by many of our officials,” the Papua New Guinea leader said.
“I know today that many of you will leave our shores but let me just say that we are grateful for your visit,” he said.
O’Neill said the APEC Summit where the country had seen various leaders from the APEC member countries converge in Papua New Guinea had given their people hope.
“It has given our people in Papua New Guinea a lot of hope, hope that in a sense they are part of a global community, and particularly the Asia Pacific region,” he said.
The sessions will include a working lunch. The meetings are expected to be finished by 2 p.m., said O’Neill.
Earlier on Saturday, Philippine presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said that Duterte will be cutting short his APEC stay, and will leave by Saturday evening, citing “urgent domestic developments.”
But Panelo withdrew this statement after 30 minutes.
The Palace did not give any further details about this.
