Duterte arrives in Thailand for 35th ASEAN Summit

President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday night arrived in Thailand to attend a summit with Southeast Asian leaders and other key players in the region.

Duterte was welcomed by Thai and Filipino officials upon his arrival in Bangkok at 9:52 p.m. (Philippine time), a day before the start of the 35th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit which will run until November 4.

The presidential delegation included Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rolando Bautista, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia.

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar, presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo, Philippine Permanent Representative to ASEAN Noel Servigon and Philippine Ambassador to Thailand Mary Jo Bernardo-Aragon completed the delegation list.

At the summit, Duterte and his regional counterparts would explore ways to further promote inclusive and sustainable development and address the challenges posed by climate change, marine pollution and other environmental issues, according to Malacañang.

The regional bloc would also discuss trade tensions, geopolitical shifts, developments in the South China Sea, terrorism, illicit drug trafficking and other transnational crimes during the summit.

The President would also participate in ASEAN’s meetings with the United Nations as well as with dialogue partners China, India, United States, South Korea and Japan. —LDF, GMA News