Duterte to participate in virtual APEC Summit — Palace

President Rodrigo Duterte will participate in an online meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders on Friday as the world grapples with the economic fallout caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Malacañang said Monday.

This will be the first time that the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting will be held virtually.

Duterte’s spokesperson Harry Roque told a news conference on Monday that this year’s summit will have two sessions.

Expected to be launched during the forum is the new vision which will guide the 21 Pacific Rim economies in the coming years, according to this year’s host Malaysia. Last year’s summit in Chile was canceled due to violent protests in the South American country.

Last week, the President participated in the virtual 37th Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related Summits where he talked about deepening regional integration and strengthening supply chain connectivity.

He urged for cooperation among Southeast Asian countries to ensure that their people will have access to COVID-19 vaccines.

Duterte also engaged leaders in an open dialogue calling for enhanced multilateralism on COVID-19 pandemic response and recovery, climate action, and peace and security issues in the Asia Pacific, particularly the South China Sea disputes. — Virgil Lopez/RSJ, GMA News