Duterte off to Bali in October for ASEAN gathering with IMF, WB

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte is scheduled to fly to Bali, Indonesia, next month to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Leaders’ Gathering (ALG), Presidential Spokesperson Harry L. Roque, Jr. said on Sunday.

According to the Asean Legal Information Portal (LIP), the ALG will be held on the sidelines of the Annual Meeting of the International Monetary Fund-World Bank Group (AM IMF-WBG) 2018 on Oct. 11.

Quoting Indonesia’s Finance Minister Sri Mulyani, the country’s national news agency ANTARA News reported that “regional priority issues” will be discussed at the meeting of the ASEAN leaders.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, said: “Through this meeting, Indonesia expect(s) ASEAN to enhance cooperation with the IMF, World Bank and the UN in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and demonstrate the success of ASEAN economic integration and regional financial stability.”

The AM IMF-WBG, according to the IMF Web site, “brings together central bankers, ministers of finance and development, parliamentarians, private sector executives, representatives from civil society organizations and academics to discuss issues of global concern, including the world economic outlook, poverty eradication, economic development, and aid effectiveness.”

This year’s meeting features “seminars, regional briefings, press conferences, and many other events focused on the global economy, international development, and the world’s financial system,” the IMF said.

For its part, the World Bank Group said it “plays a key role in the global effort to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity.” —