By Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos
SINGAPORE – President Duterte will hold bilateral meetings with the leaders of Singapore, Indonesia, and Vietnam at the sidelines of the 32nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit here.
Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter S. Cayetano confirmed that Duterte will meet the leaders of the three nations tonight and tomorrow.
Cayetano said that the country requested the bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong as Singapore is the current chairman and host of the ASEAN following the Philippines last year.
Based on the tentative schedule, Duterte’s bilateral meeting with Lee will be held at around 3 p.m. tomorrow.
Duterte will meet Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc tonight.
Duterte arrived here last night. His engagements start today with a social dinner hosted by Lee and the plenary session.
According to Cayetano, piracy and terrorism are most likely high in the agenda between the Philippines and Indonesia.
He said trade relations of the two countries might also be discussed by the two leaders.
“Regarding piracy, terrorism, it is always high on the agenda of the two Presidents because sumusulong na ang ating cooperation with them,” Cayetano said.
