Rody invites European Council head to Asean meet

Despite his outbursts and unsavory remarks against the European Union, President Duterte is looking forward to meeting European Council president Donald Tusk, who is coming to the country to attend the commemorative summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the EU next month, the Department of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.

In a press briefing at Malacañang, DFA spokesman Robespierre Bolivar said the President invited Tusk to the ASEAN-EU summit that will be a celebration of the 40th year of the two blocs as dialogue partners.

The Philippines is hosting the ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings as current chairman of the ASEAN.

According to Bolivar, this is a “milestone year” for the ASEAN and EU and a meeting between Duterte and Tusk will be an opportunity to clear the air between the two leaders over pressing concerns.

“It’s a commemorative summit and this is also in recognition of the fact that we have handled long standing and strategic engagement with the European Union on several issues,” Bolivar said.

“A bilateral meeting between the two presidents, I cannot confirm if that will happen of course. But a meeting between the two presidents would go a long way in clarifying the issues… raised in recent weeks,” he added.

Duterte has been hitting the EU for supposedly criticizing his war on drugs and the human rights situation in the country – to the point of asking its ambassadors here to leave.

Duterte’s officials have also attacked the EU and Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said the Philippines would stop accepting aid from the bloc.

Special envoy to the EU and former Senate president Edgardo Angara has underscored the need for the Philippines to further boost relations with the bloc.

Angara’s appointment as envoy has been extended by Duterte until Sept. 30 next year.

On Wednesday, Angara said that the upcoming visit of Tusk is a welcome development in light of the Philippines’ hosting the 31st ASEAN summit and related meetings on Nov. 13 to 15.

Aside from Tusk, Duterte also invited Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to visit Manila for the luncheon in honor of the East Asia Summit leaders and guests of the chair.

Tusk and Trudeau are expected to participate in the special gala celebration of the 50th anniversary of ASEAN.

Bolivar said Trudeau is also expected to attend the ASEAN-Canada meeting, which is still in the works.

“He was also invited and I think he has confirmed attendance (to) the luncheon,” Bolivar added.

Asked if the DFA has efforts to temper the impact of the unsavory remarks of Duterte, Bolivar said the department merely provides briefer or information that the President needs whenever he has international engagements.

Trump visit

In a related development, presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella also cited the importance of the visit of US President Donald Trump to the country to attend the ASEAN-US summit and related meetings.

“US President Donald Trump has expressed his commitment to the PhilippineUS alliance and in his interest in developing a warm working relationship with President Duterte, which was expressed during his telephone conversation with the Chief Executive,” Abella said.

“We hope to see this as President Trump is set to arrive in Manila on the 12th of November, where he will join other heads of state in the special gala celebration of the 50th anniversary of the… ASEAN. President Trump will likewise attend the ASEAN-US summit on Nov. 13,” Abella added.

US Ambassador Sung Kim also said Trump is skipping the East Asia Summit (EAS) on Nov. 14 purely due to scheduling reasons.

Kim said Trump is looking forward to visiting the Philippines as he recognizes the important relationship of the US with the Philippines.

“This is a long trip for the President and for very important reasons he needs to be back in Washington on the 14th,” Kim said in a forum of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) but did not elaborate.

During his visit in Manila, Trump will have a wide range of important engagements, including the US-ASEAN Summit and a bilateral meeting with Duterte.

Kim said this will be “a very productive and important visit for both countries.”

The US ambassador emphasized that the US has made very clear that it remains fully committed to the Asia-Pacific region.

“We recognize the strategic importance of this… dynamic region. And that’s in our interest to remain closely engaged in the Asia-Pacific region,” he said, noting the visits in the country by other US officials – Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in August and Defense Secretary James Mattis earlier this week, a series of senior congressional visitors and Admiral Harry Harris, who heads the US Pacific Command.

“This demonstrates the focus and the attention that Washington is paying to this important region, and our important bilateral relationship with the Philippines,” Kim said.

Duterte and Trump, he said, are expected to have a full discussion on all of the important issues of concern to both countries and the region.

The two leaders are expected to talk about the recent developments in Mindanao, the threats posed by North Korea and how the Philippines and the US can work together to strengthen the bilateral relationship in terms of alliance, economic partnership and strengthening of cultural and people-to-people ties.

Asked whether human rights will be on the agenda during the bilateral meeting, he said “we can expect that the two leaders will be open and frank with each other” in tackling important developments in the Philippines and in the US.

“I think a full range of issues would be discussed,” he said.

Tillerson and other senior officials in Washington, he said, have made very clear that human rights, rule of law and due process are all very important principles and values that the US continues to hold very dear.

“And we will continue to work with our partners and allies and friends to promote those values and principles. So, I don’t think anything has changed in that regard,” Kim said.

The US understands the seriousness of the Philippines’ drug problem but it has conveyed to the leadership its concerns about how the anti-drug campaign has been implemented, Kim said.