Duterte to attend India-ASEAN Summit this month

January 15, 2018

President Rodrigo Duterte will visit India this month, his first foreign trip for this year, to attend the India-ASEAN Summit, Malacanang said on Monday.

In a press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte will join other Southeast Asian leaders on January 24 to 26 because he "place(s) 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," he added.

The Philippines hosted the 31st ASEAN Summit in November last year.

Roque said the coming meeting in India is the first event under the Singapore chairmanship of ASEAN, which had been supportive of the Philippines' ASEAN chairmanship in 2017.

"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, and that is why he has confirmed his attendance," he said. Celerina Monte/DMS