US Secretary of State John Kerry is scheduled to travel to Manila from July 26 to 27 to meet with President Rodrigo Duterte to discuss the full range of America’s cooperation with the new administration.
In a statement, Deputy Department Spokesperson Mark C. Toner said Secretary Kerry will also meet with Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. during his two day visit.
Prior to his trip to Manila, the US State Secretary will fly to Vienna, Austria, on July 22 to join Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy and the US delegation in Vienna for the first day of high-level talks at the Extraordinary Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol.
According to Toner, the meeting is aimed at making progress on a hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) phasedown amendment for adoption later this year.
He said achieving such an amendment would build upon the climate change success achieved last year in Paris, and is one of the most consequential and cost-effective actions the global community can take this year to combat climate change. (Roy Mabasa)