President Rodrigo R. Duterte is set to have bilateral meetings with leaders of Singapore, Indonesia, and Vietnam on the sidelines of the 32nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Singapore.
Singapore, the chair of the ASEAN for 2018, is hosting the 32nd ASEAN Summit and related meetings at the Shangri-La Hotel from April 25 to 28.
The Presidential News Desk (PND) said Mr. Duterte arrived in Singapore on Thursday night, April 26, and he was “welcomed by Philippine Ambassador to Singapore Joseph Del Mar Yap and Sam Tan Chin Siong, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office.”
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Alan Peter S. Cayetano, the PND told reporters in an interview in Singapore that Mr. Duterte’s meetings “will be with leaders of Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam.”
On Saturday, according to the PND, Mr. Duterte is scheduled to have a bilateral meeting with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and he is also expected to meet with the members of the Filipino workers (OFWs) there before returning to the Philippines.
On its Web site, the office of Singapore’s Prime Minister said: “The 32nd ASEAN Summit is the first gathering of the ASEAN Leaders hosted by Singapore this year.”
“The Leaders will discuss ASEAN’s priorities, as well as the challenges and opportunities that it faces, in line with the focus on strengthening ASEAN’s resilience and innovation this year. The Leaders will also exchange views on regional and international developments,” the Prime Minister’s office also said. — Arjay L. Balinbin

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