President Rodrigo Duterte will embark on his first foreign trip this 2018 to attend the India-Association of Southeast Asian Summit (Asean) next week.
“I’d like to confirm that the President will attend the India-ASEAN Summit from the 24th to the 26th of this month. We place great importance on our relationship with India which is considered an emerging economy, President Duterte’s participation is an outcome of his bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of India at the sidelines of the 31st ASEAN Summit,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a Palace briefing.
“The fact that the President decided to attend, is also because of a personal appeal by the Indian Ambassador that in 2012, the Commemorative Summit held in 2012 in India, the Philippines was the only country that was not represented by Head of State ‘no, and that is why he has confirmed his attendance,” he added.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited Duterte to visit India when they met in Manila during the Asean summit in November 2017.
The Palace official said Duterte may travel to at least four countries this year, including South Korea, Australia, and Israel. /kga