Sultan of Brunei first ASEAN leader to arrive for summit and state visit

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei is the first Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leader to arrive in the Philippines for a state visit ahead of the 30th ASEAN summit on Saturday.
 
The Sultan arrived at the Balagbag Area, Villamor Air Base at around 6:45 p.m. Wednesday.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez, Pasay City Rep. Emi Rubiano and Mayor Tony Calixto, and Philippine Ambassador to Brunei Meynardo Montealegre welcomed Bolkiah at the airport.

Eroplanong lulan si Brunei Sultan Bolkiah, lumapag na sa NAIA pic.twitter.com/qBxnbvbFsH

— Saleema Refran (@saleema_refran) April 26, 2017

President Rodrigo Duterte will welcome the Sultan to Malacañang on Thursday for an expanded bilateral meeting, a signing ceremony and a state banquet.

Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said "the two leaders are expected to exchange views on pressing bilateral and regional issues of concern, including matters with respect to peace and security, trade and investments and ASEAN."
 
Bolkiah received Duterte for a state visit in Brunei on October 16 to 18. He was supposed to be the first ASEAN leader the President would have visited ahead of the 2016 ASEAN Summit in Laos. But Duterte's visit was pushed back because of a bombing incident in his hometown, Davao City. — VDS, GMA News