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BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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ILOILO – Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. is joining President Rodrigo Duterte in welcoming delegates to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit tomorrow.
Defensor is one of only five governors invited by the President to a special gala celebration of ASEAN’s 50th anniversary at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, Metro Manila.
The four other governors were Aklan’s Florencio Miraflores, Bohol’s Edgar Chatto, Pampanga’s Lilia Pineda, and Ilocos Sur’s Ryan Luis Singson who is also the president of the League of Provinces of the Philippines.
Leaders of member states will sign the ASEAN Consensus on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers, a landmark document that seeks to strengthen social protection, access to justice, humane and fair treatment, and access to health services of migrant workers in Southeast Asia.
The Philippines is hosting the 31st ASEAN Summit and Related Summits from Nov. 10 to 14. The member states are Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam.
But leaders of ASEAN partner countries are also attending the summit this year. These are Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia, United States, Canada, and the European Union.
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres is also visiting the Philippines.
Under the theme “Partnering for Change, Engaging the World,” Duterte will chair the plenary of the 31st ASEAN Summit. ASEAN leaders will discuss the implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and the way forward, and the appointment of the new secretary general of ASEAN.
They will also exchange views on pressing regional and international issues.
The President will also chair ASEAN’s 40th Anniversary Commemorative Summits with the United States, Canada and the European Union; 20th ASEAN Plus Three Commemorative Summit; the 20th ASEAN-China Summit; 19th ASEAN-Republic of Korea Summit; 20th ASEAN-Japan Summit; 12th East Asia Summit; 15th ASEAN-India Summit; and the 9th ASEAN-UN Summit.
These meetings will review and take a look at the future direction of cooperation within these mechanisms.
The ASEAN leaders will also have an interface with the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN BAC) while the ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Leaders will have an interface with the East Asia Business Council.
The ASEAN Leaders, along with the leaders of Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand, will have a Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Leaders’ Summit.
At the closing ceremony of the 31st ASEAN Summit and Related Summits, Duterte will hand over the chairmanship of ASEAN to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore, the incoming chair for 2018.
Prior to the 31th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits on Nov. 13 to 14, preparatory meetings at the levels of ministers and senior officials will take place on Nov. 10 to 12 in Clark, Pampanga and in Manila. (With reports from www.asean2017.ph/PN)
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