NAY PYI TAW, Myanmar, May 10 (PNA) — President Benigno S. Aquino III arrived here Saturday afternoon to join fellow Southeast Asian leaders in the 24th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit.
President Aquino together with the Philippine delegation arrived at Nay Pyi Taw International Airport at 3:32 p.m (Myanmar time) onboard Philippine Airlines flight PR001.
Upon arrival, the President was welcomed by Philippine officials led by Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, Philippine Ambassador to Myanmar Alex Chua; Maria Lourdes Salcedo, deputy head of mission Philippine Embassy in Yangon; and Defense and Armed Forces Attache Colonel Edgardo de Leon.
Also present at the airport to receive the President were Myanmar officials namely U Than Htay, Union Minister for Rail Transportation and Spouse; U Ye Myint Aung, Ambassador of Myanmar to the Philippines; U Thurein Thant Zin, Director-General Protocol, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Han Wing Naing, Deputy Director, Economic Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Liaison Officer to the President) and Police Major Myat Koko, Security Officer to the President.
Philippine officials who accompanied the President were Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr., Mindanao Development Authority Chair Luwalhati Antonino, Presidential Management Staff head Julia Abad and House Speaker Sonny Belmonte.
President Aquino is leading the Philippine delegation to the ASEAN Summit. The theme for this year’s summit is “Moving Forward in Unity to A Peaceful and Prosperous Community,” which stresses the importance of a united ASEAN.
Myanmar is hosting the ASEAN summit for the first time in 17 years since the country joined the regional bloc.
Later in the evening, President Aquino will attend the welcome dinner to be hosted by Myanmar President U Thein Sein for all ASEAN leaders and their delegations.
On Sunday, the President will join other leaders in the opening ceremony of the Summit. Then the President is also scheduled to attend the Plenary Session, and the Summit Retreat.
After which, President Aquino will attend the meetings with the representatives of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, the Civil Society Organizations, and the ASEAN Youth.
Thereafter, the President will participate in the 10th Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Summit.
Aside from the Philippines, other members of ASEAN are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. (Philippine News Agency)
