Duterte back in Manila after Asean-Korea Summit
MANILA, Philippines—President Rodrigo Duterte returned to Manila Tuesday evening after attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-Republic of Korea (Asean-ROK) Commemorative Summit.
Duterte’s plane landed at 6:17 p.m.
The summit gathered leaders of the 10 Asean-member states to discuss three decades of partnership with Korea, as well as to tackle other pressing issues like the tension at the Korean Peninsula.
At the sidelines of the two-day summit, Duterte and Korean President Moon Jae-in witnessed the signing of agreements on education, tourism, social security, and fisheries.
However, the much-awaited free trade agreement between the two countries is not among those that were signed due to delays in discussions. The signing would have coincided with the 70th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic ties.
Duterte returned to the country as the government faces fierce criticisms due to issues and complaints hounding the Philippines’ hosting of the 2019 SEA Games.
